Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

What is the best method? In my first two years of food plots I broad casted seed by hand but felt I was heavy in a lot of areas. Last year I used a push spreader for my biologic and felt this did a better job. But those small bags biologic sells says four of them will cover an acre. I used five bags on probably an eighth of an acre. Do I need to get over the fact/fear that I should be spreading it out even more?..........

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

Broadcasting is a good way to spread clover seed. If you let the clover head out, it will reseed itself and may fill in open areas, especially white clover. Not so much red clover though. I am not familiar with Biologic. You may want to look on the package and see what type of seeds it contains. You may have spread it on to thick and many of the plants will become choked out. Also, make sure you take a light drag over the area which you have seeded to get good soil contact with your seeds.

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

Yep, you need to get over the fear factor. I've spread alot of seed by a hand broadcaster and the biggest mistake you can make is to put to much on-you can run out quick.

Try putting it on too light. If you have some left-over you can always plant more. Clover barely looks like there is anything coming out.

I gave 5#'s to a friend of mine to plant 1/10 of an acre. I knew he'd use too much and I told my wife he'd be back. He's a stubborn 67 year old who a "kid" like me can't teach anything to, and he was back in a 1/2 hour-needed more seed! Didn't listen so I gave him 5#'s more-charged him $10 that time.

It's better to put on too little the first time, than too much the first time.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan.

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

You say broadcast it by hand, do you mean with flinging the seed from your hand or using a bradcast seeder. If you need a small broadcasr seeded you can get one for $10. at home depot . If you are alreadyu using try making your overlap a little farther and walk a little faster, see how this works out. I have seeded many lawns with a broadcast seeder and had to figure out the rhythm as to what worked best then I was ok with it.

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

The best method of planting in the smaller plots, less than 1 acre, is a hand spreader. Get the one that goes over the shoulder. They cost about $20.00 - $30.00 but are the only way for the small plots. In those types of spreaders, that is with a seed gate width of 6 inches or less, and seed like clover which is spread at a rate of about 8 - 12 lb an acre, open the gate about 1/8th inch... Walk at a fair pace. If you have seed left over you can always re walk the area. Spreading by hand is an art... It takes time to know your spreader... Try some sand for practice...... Weigh it at the same rate as the seed to be spread and work out. Drilling is best but is not practical for an acre or less, unless of course you have the equipment and the experience.

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

I used the hand spreader with the strap that go over the sholder. They work good but the gears wear out easy. you need to run a drag over it when your finished to cover the seed.

RE: Broadcasting small seed like clover......
 

We broadcasted our seeds by hand the first time, had thick spots and thin spots. We also didn't cover nearly as much area. The second time I borrowed a hand crank, over the shoulder, seed spreader. It did a very nice job, Seeds went farther, plots came in very even and thick. I probably wasted more seeds than the spreader cost when I spread by hand.

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Clover seeding...
 

I mix ladino in with whitetail institute clover/chicory mix. I can't say one clover is better than the other but I can say that deer absolutely hammer the WT chicory. As for seeding it I use an ATV spreader (gemplers) which works well and can be controlled well for small seeds. Lastly, someone mentioned dragging over clover seed...I wouldn't as clover seed that gets buried more than the smallest amount (1/4 inch) won't germinate. Other seeds yes, but clover, no.

I mix the seed with some sand. That way you don't put it out too thick.