# economical ways to re-seed fields



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Some of my fields are showing lots of smaller bare spots and thinning growth. I might be too late for this year. Frost could happen in 6 weeks. Looking more to next spring.
I wondered if one of the Landpride food plot seeders could help? Or would it be too light/small? 
Very little money left to spend-want to use it wisely. Fields I'm talking about are ~10 acres.

What (beyond throwing seed on the ground) would be an economical way to scratch the ground up and seed?
Unfortunately, my seeding experience is limited to harley raking bare dirt then seed/straw.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_Check with NRCS,they may have a no till rental drill._

_You could spread it and drag it in.Maybe mix with your fertilizer??Here we might have co-op airflow it on.Or get spinner spreader and double spread it._


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

You mean throw seed on the ground, then use a chain drag over it?
There is a guy who rents no till drill, but it's $$$


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

JD3430 said:


> You mean throw seed on the ground, then use a chain drag over it?
> There is a guy who rents no till drill, but it's $$$


Here we can take the seed to fertilizer plant and they will blend it in the mixer with dry fertilizer then spead it on.Either they will do it with airflow or we can do it with spinner type ,pull type spreaders.

Here we use spring tine or spike tooth drags.anything that would stir up a little dirt.Get the seed in about 1/4 inch or so.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> Here we can take the seed to fertilizer plant and they will blend it in the mixer with dry fertilizer then spead it on.Either they will do it with airflow or we can do it with spinner type ,pull type spreaders.
> 
> Here we use spring tine or spike tooth drags.anything that would stir up a little dirt.Get the seed in about 1/4 inch or so.


We do the same down here. For smaller fields I mix Bermuda seed with sand, spread it with a cyclone spreader, run a chain drag over it and roll it. Last spring I was doing a 17 acre field and busted the cyclone. I had already fertilized the field and incorporated it, so I took the rest of the seed down to the dealer and had it mixed with a ton of K-Mag (it was cheap) and finished spreading it. I'll get a second cutting off that field next week.


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## Russ61 (May 19, 2011)

Check with your soil and water conservation in your county.Here in SE Indiana we can rent a great plains no-till from them for $8.00 an acre .Lots cheaper than a planter payment.Looking to re do acouple of fields in the next few weeks....I hope ☺
Russ


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I just paid $9.00/ac to rent the no till drill from my county agent. i did not hav much luck in the spring. If theresvto much cover there/competition seems 000lb to bnot take very well. I just no tilled 12 days,aago on bear grounf n a 2ac field i round up and its,starting to sprout up good. If u hav bear areas i think u will do ok. I will keep you posted becausr while i had the drill i went over sum existing stands of hay so ,we will see


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

To the question economical ways to re-seed fields use a spinner seeder and broadcast your seed on a pasture that has been grazed down. 
Then put a roundbale in the pasture and run the cattle in again. 
The hoof action will put the seed in contact with the soil. 
When the hay is gone, pull the cattle out and leave till the new seedlings are well established.

OR Feed cattle in the pasture with some feed with grass & clover seed mixed in with the feed. The cattle will plant the seed for you.

Economical but it does require some management and planning.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

whitmerlegacyfarm said:


> *I just paid $9.00/ac to rent the no till drill from my county agent.* i did not hav much luck in the spring. If theresvto much cover there/competition seems 000lb to bnot take very well. I just no tilled 12 days,aago on bear grounf n a 2ac field i round up and its,starting to sprout up good. If u hav bear areas i think u will do ok. I will keep you posted becausr while i had the drill i went over sum existing stands of hay so ,we will see


Who is the "county agent" and where do I find out who my county agent is?


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

if I lived in Pennsylvania to find out who your county agent is I would run a internet search on Penn State Extension


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

*here the NRSC has notill drill for rent.*

*http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/home*


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

Late winter frost seeding or interseeding with a no-till drill in the spring has worked better for me. Tetraploid Italian ryegrass has great seedling vigor in bare spots if just broadcasted. For no-till interseeding I have had great luck with red clover and birdsfoot trefoil is drilled before any growth of the established plants in the spring. Make sure to innoculat if planting any of the legumes. I was going to put some ryegrass in this August on a new seeding of alfalfa to fill in some bare spots but my extension agent thought that competition with the alfalfa going into the winter would hurt my success and thought that spring would have a better advantage.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

If you cant get a no till drill. Harrow broadcast and roll. I used my neighbors brillian pulverizer this fall unbeleiviable seed soil contact. Great stands.


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