Question for Burrhead

I spread 125 lbs 60-40-30 fertilize per acre then disc it in good to pulverize the ground then scatter and disk in the sprigs then run a cultipacker over it. That way does really good.

I go and watch a friend & neighbor who bought the planter to do commercial works and watch how it's done. It reminds me of a sweet potato slip planter. As the drum turns 2 men keep it loaded with sprigs. It has steel spades like the tater machine that place the sprig and a disc wheel closes the furrow on them.

It has a 2 man station that when in operation those 2 men ride the planter to keep the feeder boxes full as it plants.

They measure the seeding rate by bales per acre. The bales are exactly like small square forage bales.

This Vermillion(sp?) adjust output by the drum speed as it pertains to ground speed.

It will adjust from 2 bales on low up to 10 bales per acre on high output.

This feller gets $50 per acre for the sprigs with 2.5 bales per acre and planting them. That's if you do all the prep work and do all the rolling.

I put 5 bales per acre onto pulverized ground by hand, then disc it in, then roll the cultipacker over it.

So far my fields look as good or better than the ones they have used the machine in.

If I could find a manure spreader around here that's what I would use.

If I got scatter brained on you or you need specific info just holler and I'll round it up for you, but as for how to put the sprigs out I would'nt pay for a machine or even rent one that I can out do by hand.

One rental place in Houston rents the machine for $150 per day. I can put 4 men in a trailer for $160 per day and cover 1/2 again as much ground as the machine. Plus by using manual labor I have my both my tractor man and loaders with me at all times.

I'll tell ye how Dr Bade from Aggieland told me on the disc and packing.

According to him::

The sprigs need planted within 3 hours of cutting.

Prepare the soil by pulverizing it and then walking back thru the prepared soil. If you sink your foot more than the depth of your shoe sole it needs rolled and packed before you put out sprigs. He says 1" deep shoe print is desired.

Pack it til your step does'nt penetrate the soil over the 1" depth.

Then spred the sprigs and disc one time, if they don't get covered good then re-disc and then roll it and do another walk thru.

If you sink more than the 1" depth after you have rolled it then just keep rolling til it's packed no matter how many rounds it takes.

I don't pull a roller behind the disc but it won't hurt to. I do the discing with a 4840 and 18' offset.

I use small tractors for the roll and packing . A 2000 Ford and a Massey Hinomoto rice burner. Neither of them are big enough to pull the disc.

Our 4020 and 4840 both tear up too much in the corners and leave a packed rut too deep to keep the ground smooth enough for my liking.

I have had exceptionally good luck using Dr Bade's advice.