Anybody drill alfalfa

SVcummins

Well-known Member
Through the big box on a grain drill ? It?s listed on the seed chart for the big box but I?ve never tried it
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I Prefer Broadcast; but have drilled before. On hilly land water can run down the rows, & cause erosion. Broadcasting creates no clear path for water to flow. Been long enough ago I cant remember which was smoother for skid plates to run across for New Holland 489 Haybine; that machine was great on all the ground we ran it on. But narrow erosion channels can catch the skid plates running with the rows.
 
Too bad you kept the numbers a mastery for everyone! :)

I can?t imagine with several dozen years of wear that it would work well, but I?ve never run a Green drill. It?s hard enough to make a well worn small box work out right and even.

Paul
 
Yes, I would say I have drilled 3000 acres or more of it that way,, I just mix my seed with a nurse crop if I use the big box, I Always plant alfalfa 2-21/2"deep and have been planting it the last 20 years in march and april, the old wives tale that you have to plant it 1/4-1/2" deep is just that a tale,, sure you can do it but here where its a dry climate you need it down enough to stay in the moisture to get a good start and root right off, also I can plant it up to two months earlier this way as the nurse crop (I plant hay Barley) will start and come up then when the ground warms enough later for the alfalfa to sprout and come the ground temps and outside temps are fine for it to not freeze out, I get 2-2 1/2 ton per acre production planting it this way and fields last 15-20 years easy here. and planting with a press drill like you have will pack it Only where the seed is and not pack the whole field so its already tight and has a harder time taking H20, again something most on here have no problem with as they get more rain in a month than I get in a whole year, as you know it takes a different way of farming to make it out here in what i call a high desert, just my own thoughts and learning how to get the most out of my area ground,,
cnt
 
On deer plots I plant with a drill I set the rate at just over half what I want it,then go up and down the hills first pass and then cross ways on the 2nd pass gets a more even stand helps with erosion issues.Also when I cultipack run it cross ways on the hills.
 
I have. Mix oats and alfalfa seed. I use a scoop shovel and a water tank.Set the drill to the desired rate of oats,stir every round or two. Alfalfa is too fine to plant alone in the big box,use the small 'grass' box.However,these days I prefer to broadcast,as I no longer own a drill.Set the rate to about half,do a 'double spread',splitting the tracks on the second pass.I often use a triple spread,especially when planting grass. Gets a very even spread pattern that way,no streaks.
 
This phone case is brand new but the cover for camera lens is so scratched already that the pictures are terrible
 
I should have added I have planted with my Case press drills direct and yes it will work, I just keep mine set where I have them unless I have to so they are always ready for the crops I plant with them, Case drills use a Seed-O-Meter feed cup like your JD's have in design and will plant almost any seed,the reason I plant a cover crop is I get to take a early crop off it and then there is a a good stubble crop left to shade the ground and give the you alfalfa a better chance at a great stand right off
 
Yes it?s a lot different farming in the west like you said other places get more rain in a day than we get in a year sometimes. Guy I?m plowing for wants to frost seed some alfalfa and my alfalfa seeder needs some work so I thought I?d try it out of the big box the charts list it for the big box I guess I?ll try it and see
 
Grandpa use to always plant a cover crop with alfalfa and always had a good stand nobody seems to do it anymore I?ve always liked the idea he would plant barley and alfalfa then combine the barley and there would be a nice hay crop
 
Dad had an IH #5 endgate seeder to sow oats with, also had a smaller hopper and metering system to sow alfalfa seed with the oats. Pretty common in the midwest. We seeded 40 acres of oats every year so we had 20 acres of fresh hog pasture and 20 acres of hay every year. We disked old corn ground leaving 8 or 9 38 inch rows disked, one row as left by the picker to drive seeder wagon by. I ran 5-6 mph by 25 ft swath with the seeder wagon, didn't take long to sow our oats and the neighbors on same day. Would disk the oats & alfalfa in after they were sowed, then peg tooth harrow to smooth the ground for all the traffic it would see the following year. When we got done seeding 20 acres I'd jump on our big tractor and disk in the seed also, Neighbor started disking right behind the seeder wagon, Dad would refill the seeder wagon for the 2nd 20 acres. After lunch we'd do the neighbor's 40 acres.

A few neighbors had grain drills, took them a lot longer to sow similar acres.
 
These unit drills have a two speed drive on the big box and according to the chart it?ll go as low as 8 pounds . I ended up fixing the small seed box on the one drill . If we don?t get a lot of snow out of this storm I?m going to frost seed about 40 acres
 

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