Soil prep for efficient market growing

14 years ago

I use a pinpoint seeder from Johnny's for certain greens and root crops. It requires a certain degree of seed bed preparation that I've heard some growers complain about, but I've found it to be a tool well worth the price. My beds are sifted soil, and I sift the compost that is added to it with 1/4 inch mesh, so it is easy to work up a fine tilth. I re-purposed a drum from a commercial clothes dryer to create a rolling tool that makes the beds smooth and level. I'm wondering what other growers do to create a fine seedbed to make large-scale planting of small seeds more efficient, especially with mechanical seeding equipment. Does anyone use tractor drawn bed formers or seeders for dense seeding of salad mix greens?

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Comments (3)

boulderbelt
14 years ago
We use an Earthway seeder (but we are beginning to consider a Jang or other pinpoint seeder as we do a lot of small seed like carrot) and we rake the bejeesus out of the beds after tilling/cultivating to get a nice smooth small grained surface for the seeds. We don't go as far as sifting the beds (actually we do as a garden rake can do a lot of sifting if properly used) My Husband (who will never be on-line as he hates all things that have to do with computers) has a method of getting a very fine bed that I need to video sometime as it is hard to explain. It takes him about 15 minutes to get a bed into shape unless there are a lot of weeds and rocks in the bed than it takes longer to get all the debris out of the bed.

Our beds are 4' x 50'
myfamilysfarm
14 years ago
Lucy, I would love to see that. We're putting beds in the hoophouse (3x45 divided into 12 lengths).

For small seeds (don't do alot) I used the Earthway. Actually, it's 3 joined together. I replaced the axles with threaded all-thread 24" long, used nuts/wingnuts to space the seeders apart. Now I can plant 3 rows closely at one time. I usually use radish seeds on at least 1 of those rows as a marker row, since they germinate so quickly.

But the Earthway definitely wants a soft, fine soil.

It does fine if we rent a tiller behind the tractor, but we don't own one and everytime we want to rent someone else has it.

I'm using a jab planter, that I bought from my Amish friends, to plant the larger seeds. It's much easier on my back and spaces out rather well. If my potato were smaller, I could use it for that also. I need to remember to try onion sets.

Marla
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randy41_1
14 years ago
i use the 4 row pinpoint seeder and spend a lot of time preparing the seed bed to make the tool work properly.Ideally i spread an 1" or so of screened compost over the bed and the seeder glides along just fine. it is worth the time to prepare the bed with the excellent results i've been experiencing. using the seeder is a bit tedious with the calibrating and holding it at the correct angle to get the proper depth.
i have an earthway seeder that shines when it comes to bean seeds but is terrible for small seeds.