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  • From: Susan Truxell Sauter <ssauter2 AT wvu.edu>
  • To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: More on Earthway precision seeder troubles
  • Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 14:48:30 -0500


Hi Eric & all again,

Yes, I have the optional plates. I did only have 1 oz of onion seed
in the hopper. Just now, another frustrating experience--I put 1 oz
of chioggia beet seed in the hopper with the beet plate and it
wants to pick up 6 at a time, this tried on the concrete basement
floor. One ounce of beet seeds is way more in the hopper than 1 oz of
onion seeds. I appreciate the thought about the pea germination rate.
It does seem that you are saying my problem is
a trashy seed bed. But why then does it not even work on my
basement floor with the beet seeds?
Thanks again. It's nice to know there are others out there
with the same struggles.

Susan

At 01:56 PM 3/31/00 -0800, you wrote:
>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
>>
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