Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] push seeders

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Thomas Kumpf <tjkumpf AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] push seeders
  • Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:33:59 -0800 (PST)

I have used several seeders over the years:

1.) Earthway
2.) 1 and 4 Row pinpoint seeders from Johnny's
3.) Planet Jr. model 300
4.) Planet jr. Model #25

A friend has the "European" seeder from Johnny's, which I think has a few
similarities to the Planet Jr., mostly that it uses discs with assorted hole
sizes and "drills" in the seed and doesn't singulate like the earthway will.
I like the planet jr, a drill type (non-singulation, drill type) b/c it
is durable and is nearly impossible to wear out. To avoid thinning crops
like carrots, I mix the seed with a comparably sized flowable ingredient in
the hopper. For carrots I used Kelp meal by espoma, about a 50/50 mixture
and get nearly perfect stands. For beets, I used a pelleted organic
fertilizer that was about the same size at 50/50. Old Planet Jr. model #4
and #25 have a star wheel on the back of the hopper to alternately open/close
the gate at the bottom of the hopper to drop seeds at certain intervals. The
call this a "hill and drill" seeder, which mimics planting seeds every 6" or
12" so you don't have to thin. Kinda like Eliot Colemans "multiplant" soil
blocks.
The two most important features, IMO, are the opening shoe and rear
press wheel on the Planet Jr. The standard opening shoe makes a nice furrow
with a little crisp line at the bottom which helps to wick up moisture to the
seed. The rear press wheel is a two piece wheel (rt. and left halves) that
form a convex hill shape to the soil with a little zone of loose soil at the
top b/c the two wheel halves have a little gap between them. This looks a
little line on the top of the rows "hill" that goes in the same direction of
travel. This loose zone of soil allows better seed emergence by preventing
soil crusting and is a genius design. This works great in my sandy soil,
where a downpour almost certainly spells doom for carrots.
The Planet Jr. (now known as Cole) is still available new, and many used
ones are out there on craigslist and ebay I think it is a better unit than
the European one from Johnny's. It will plant nearly anything, including
beans. I still use the Earthway for stuff I don't want to thin (corn,
cucumbers, etc.). I use my Pinpoint seeders from Johnnys for high density
plantings of salad mix, arugula, Hakurei turnips, etc., especially in the
hoophouses. As for the Jang, I have looked at them and think they are OK, I
think they are pretty expensive when you factor in the price of all the
different seed wheels you need, especially if you are a grower who grows many
things. I think it needs a better rear press wheel, and dont like how the one
person said that beets get jammed up in it. I would think it would do the
same with corn or beans, but someone else can attest to that.
Good luck, good seeders are expensive and worth every penny.
Tom Kumpf

www.double-t-farm.com

Now a Farmigo user!







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page