General Sowing question
 

I plan to broadcast wheat, oats, clover and rape in the next two weeks. The plot will have been disced a few times prior, then drug as flat as possible to creat a good seed bed with a 4 wheeler pulling a section of chain link fence.

Once I broadcast the seed, should I re-drag the plot with the fencing to lightly cover the seed, or use a sheet of 4x8 plywood or similar to press the seed into the soil? Or perhaps broadcast it just ahead of a rain, and let mother nature have at it?

RE: General Sowing question
 

I'd broadcast and thendrag it lightly for good seed/soil contact. You wouldn't happen to have a cultapacker(sp?), would you? Then let Ma Nature rain a nice steady 1"/day rain on it. You'll be all set!
-ost

RE: General Sowing question
 

Your quickest and easiest way to assure good soil contact is to do a final light drag after you have seeded and like ostdc said pray for rain. I am soing the same thin as you this weekend, sure hope good ole mother nature helps out. Best of Luck!

RE: General Sowing question
 

All but the clover will benefit by lightly disking it in. The clover does not need it, and if you do, some seeds will seat too deep to germinate, but I'd take the cahnce, espcially if its been dry in your area. After disking, I'd cultipack it, or drag the weighted plywood over it again, to reduce the air pockets in the soil. This will help the clover more than the other seeds.

RE: General Sowing question
 

Thanks guys. My only "implements" available are the weighted plywood or a 6'x6' section of chain link fence attached to a frame. An area farmer is doing the main discing for me, and I doubt I can get him back for a final light disc.

So for final seed to soil press I should use the plywood over the fencing? I'm envisioning the fencing kicking up too much soil and covering the seeds.

RE: General Sowing question
 

Don't disk the clover and you should be alright with the poor mans cultipacker...

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

RE: General Sowing question
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
...poor mans cultipacker...

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Which is the fencing or plywood?

RE: General Sowing question
 

some people use both, some just the ply wood or just the fence. The fence with ply wood on top, then weight will cover about 1/2 the seed to 1/4&quot; deep or less. If the soil is moist, its sometimes helpful to go over it again with just the weighted plywood to press in the soil. If the plot is small enough, some people just drive back and forth over it with their truck/jeep or ATV.