what do you guys spread seed with?
 

I got the food plots all tilled up last weekend and was going to plant this coming weekend but i was wondering what you guys use to spread the seed with. I figured i would just a normal fertilizer spreader but the bag I bought is a 3 pound bad and is suppose to cover a 1/2 acre, when i fertilize my lawn i use almost 50 pounds on 1/2 an acre and dont see how 3 pounds is going to cover that much. Do you just dial the spreader way down or what? thanks for any help.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

I used a broadcast spreader last week that goes over your shoulder. It depends on the size of the seed. The best rule of thumb I've heard from other people is resist the desire to overseed or plant to thick. Clover, chicory and alfalfa are very small seeds so you would want a very low setting. Beans, corn, oats and wheat are larger so you would use mid to higher settings. Hope this helps.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

For fertilzer and large seed like rye/wheat - we use one of these:



For clover - and Brassica seeds - we usually hand seed and use one of these:



When broadcasting small seeds - I use the smallest setting and go over the enteire area twice in an optimum planting.

FH

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

Just what Farm Hunter said. Use a normal fertilizer spreader of any type, to spread larger seed like, wheat, oats, winter rye, peas, soybeans, buckwheat, even corn.

For tiny seeds like brassicas, clovers, alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, .... use the small hand seeders and walk fast.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

Ditto on the over the shoulder broadcaster. Mine's got a bag with a lever you spin. Works really well. I'd suggest you not waste the 15 bucks on the handheld spreader in the 2nd picture. It's a waste of money. It won't hold enough seed to cover a small flower bed before you have to reload it.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

We use to hire the Co Op to spread the seed and fertilizer with the lime truck, but they tend to waste too much seed slinging it out in the woods. We get better results with either a tractor mounted seeder or a seeder that holds about 50 pounds mounted on a 4-wheeler.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

I do the same thing as farm hunter. I like the control of a hand crank spreader so I get good coverage.

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

I have the same apparatus as Farm Hunter and also an over the shoulder bag. I generally use the small hand held seeder I got from Home Depot for my small food plots to give me better control of the volume and to make sure the coverage is good and just walk it on...

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

i use the small hand held one and one from lowes behind my four wheeler, don't over seed. a small bag want go far, may want to mix something with it,so you can cover a bigger area,

RE: what do you guys spread seed with?
 

Sorry for the completely noobish question, after you guys seed, do you just water the area? Or do you have to put a thin top layer of soil down first?