zophy

I use a tiller for food plots. I purchased a Cultipacker implement this year, because I was told a lot more seeds would germinate with the seedbed being flat instead of fluffy. I broadcasted after a rain and when I passed the plot the next day, the bigger winter peas from whitetail institute seeds were still above the dirt, waiting to be eaten by birds. Should I leave tilled dirt fluffy for bigger seeds?

Iron Archer

If I am planting larger seed like you describe I would till then broadcast and then drag the plot with a piece of chain link fence, that covers seed just enough to be out of sight of birds. You could cultipack after dragging for a good firm soilbed.

jeo1968

Every seed you plant has an effective planting depth. Some seeds can be broadcast, frost seeded or dragged effectively. Products like Austrian winter peas, lab lab, forage soybeans, sorghums should all be 1/2 inch -1 inch deep. Dragging will not get these seeds deep enough. Your germination will be low plus unless your getting a lot of rain, the ground typically is drier at the surface and you need that seed to have moisture to sprout and grow.

I tried dragging the lablab, which is pretty close to the same size seed as austrian winter peas knowing it wouldn't work well but experimentation purposes for my research, I did it anyways and the results were as expected. Poor!!!