Seed Drill Questions

I want to sow the little plot to oats to try out my dad's old horse-drawn seed drill. I can modify the tongue to fit the Ferguson TEA20, but I don't know anything about seeding.

How much oats should I get, and what tricks do I need to know not to make a mess?

The purpose of the oats is to provide a mulch cover for next year's plantings.

Thanks,

Rod

I have a few pieces of 5 X 5 ash around, so chances are I can make an improvised, short tongue to replace the long one and not ruin the implement for equine use.

"8 lb. double-cleaned feed oats, six seeds per footprint, overlap two rows, oats know what to do."

Uh, I guess you can't back up a seed drill to get into a corner. If I work out a pattern with the drag which allows me to cover the plot without getting stuck in a corner, I could seed to the same pattern with minor overlaps, I suppose. The Fergie will turn pretty short.

I put twelve bucket-loads of old horse manure on the plot today and disked it in. Next stop will be to talk to the seed guy on the corner of the farm.

It will be hard to make a mess. The oats will know what to do. The drill probably has a setting for oats. 2 bushels or 8 pecks per acre is a pretty typical rate. Oats are cheap, get some extra. If you try to get exactly enough, the seed will pile up on the flat areas between the seed cups, and the drill will quit planting before you run out of seed.

The drill will not plant right up to the wheel track. You will have to run the wheel over the first or second 'row' to get complete coverage. Planting half the rate going in two different directions will help cover any gaps that you might have.

You might consider planting some field peas after the oats(at the same rate as the oats). They will also winter kill and fix a little nitrogen for next year's garden.