Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: Earthway precision seeder troubles

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "ERIC SIMMS" <ourfamilyfarm AT email.msn.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Earthway precision seeder troubles
  • Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 13:56:34 -0800


Hello,
I use the Earthway seeders also and have had trouble with a "trashy" seedbed
but with patience you can use it in a less than desirable bed with larger
seeds.
I have found that using so many pea seeds makes up for poor germination
typical of these seeds (85%) and lends a hand in support of other plants to
keep the peas off of the ground if you don't use a trellis.
You have to have enough seeds in the hopper for the plate pickup points to
reach the seeds in the case of your onions. Do you have the optional plates?
this adds to the tools versatility.

Eric Simms
Our Family Farm
Garfield Ga.
----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Truxell Sauter <ssauter2 AT wvu.edu>
To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2000 10:11 AM
Subject: Earthway precision seeder troubles


> Hello,
>
> For those of you experienced using this seeder, can you share with
> me/us your troubleshooting tips? I've been nothing but frustrated
> with what seems to be an incredibly cleverly designed little gadget.
> However, these are my unsatisfactory experiences so far:
> 1. Lays down way too much corn seed (sugar enhanced so it's shrivelled)
with
> the seed plate. Gonna try taping some holes on the pea plate and see
> if that is any better.
> 2. Onion seed plate will not pick up onion seeds in the hopper. Did
> the dishwashing liquid thing in case it was a static electricity
> problem...still to no avail. (even after trying a test run along the
> basement floor indoors.) Had to broadcast the seed.
> 3. Pea plate lays down way too many sugar snap peas. Tried smaller
> pea plate. Same thing. Finally tried chard plate which looked like
> it was the right size. But in the garden, again, either laid down
> too many or none at all.
>
> One thing I'm wondering--does the seed bed have to be incredibly smooth
> for this thing to work properly? If so, then it probably always will
> be the wrong tool for my gardens. I just don't like to chew the soil
> up like that. Hmmm..., maybe I'm gonna have to though--planting 3
> pounds of sugar snap peas by hand hurt my 'peapickin' back--to borrow
> a signature line phrase of an earlier writer. Also, how full does the
> hopper have to be for the thing to pick up seeds? Wondering if that
> was my problem with it not picking up the onion seeds.
>
> TIA.
>
> Susan
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to market-farming as:
ourfamilyfarm AT email.msn.com
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
$subst('Email.Unsub')
> To subscribe send email to lyris AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
> with message text containing: subscribe market-farming
>






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page