# Seed planters



## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

What do you use ? besides the hand and bend method.
Expanding the garden some and thinking it is time for a wheeled seed planter.

I see this Earthway seed planter for under a $100. Good deal ?

Suggestions welcome. Corn is probably the biggest reason for wanting one , that and getting older.


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Johnny's has one for $109, so that would be pretty good, depending on shipping charges. I used one for a while, then gave it up, The seeds I wanted to plant were too small for the seed plates, so I got doubles that had to be thinned--didn't save the stoop energy. Or, the doubled up seeds got lodged in the opening, causing skips......

And,,,,,.my soil was just too sandy and light, so pushing on the Earthway pushed it deeper into the ground, and ruined the depth control. Overall, it just didn't serve my needs..

geo


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## akaRach (Sep 29, 2009)

I have that one and there is definitely a learning curve. 

Don't use when soil is very wet or the mud will build up behind the plate and cause it to pop and skip, shooting seeds out of the planter, lol.

Like geo, I had double troubles as well but experimenting with the different size plates and some engineering (tape) to modify the holes, it worked ok.

I love the planting guide arm thingy, keeps my rows the same distance apart but can cause more resistance when planting.

Even tho it's not perfect, there is NO WAY I would plant my garden without it. My garden is about 2 acres and a quarter of that is corn, quarter pumpkin (don't use planter for these), and last quarter is veggies with a large amount in beans.

Even tho its kind of persnickety to use, it is a time saver for me.


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks for the input.
I saw another seeder by lambert, different design than earthway and spreads fertilizer at same time.
Can't find any reviews on it out there. I like that it does fertilizer but not sure how well the seeder part works.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

I second the earthway seeder, chunky soil, mud, or a lot of residue on the top (say from tilling down a cover crop) make it a little difficult to use. Although it is a huge timesaver. Hundreds of feet a day sown in minutes.


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## Ellie Mae (Jan 18, 2011)

I love my earthway,
what a back saver!

can plant long rows of beans, etc in no time and the only drawback I have found is it makes me plant way more than I need or can handle, lol

I use raised beds for alot of the smaller type seeds, carrots, lettuce, herbs, so that hasn't been an issue for me.


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## Tobster (Feb 24, 2009)

Since you are in the shopping mood, here is another to view. Their products made in USA.
Interesting site to click around on.

Garden Cultivator | Garden Cultivators | Push Plow


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

Tobster said:


> Since you are in the shopping mood, here is another to view. Their products made in USA.
> Interesting site to click around on.
> 
> Garden Cultivator | Garden Cultivators | Push Plow


He likes to spend money that is for shore. Always pleading poverty then shops for backhoes...


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

We use an Earthway and really like it.
Had one from a company called Golden Harvest and it was worthless.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

We have an Earthway and I agree with all the comments . . . however, we don't use it to plant corn.

Get a piece of the white pvc pipe long enough to reach the ground from about your waist height to the ground. Dropping corn seeds down the tube means you can plant without bending over! You can attach a bit of broomstick to poke holes in the ground, and a container to hold seeds to make it even more convenient.


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## rockhound (Sep 25, 2009)

Attach a funnel made from plastic bottle and the pipe planter is hard to beat.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

They are not for planting a packet of seed.

Everyone has their own way. I finally got one just for corn and beans and I love it. They do have some problems if the soil is not in good tilth at the time of planting. The seeders actually do very well with small seeds, but the problem is they need a fair amount of seed in the hopper for the seeds to plant evenly. Most of us don't plant that much seed. If one is planting hundred foot rows, and doesn't mind buying a few more ounces of seed to have enough to make the unit work well, it can't be beat.


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## KYfarmer (May 8, 2011)

I use a Jang seeder. Use it to plant out about 2 acres of lettuce, carrots, beets, swiss chard, and other leafy stuff. Use a earthway for beans, corns, and peas.


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## coup (Feb 28, 2007)

bought an earthway for $5. at a yard sale and really liked it for planting corn,,,great.


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## elmtree3 (Apr 30, 2011)

I also have an earthway, and I'd say it was one of the best $100 investments I've made for my garden. But, like some say, you have to have enough seed in it for it to work properly. You can turn a 4 hour job of planting corn or beans into about a 15 minute _task._ But I also like the way it plants carrots, beets, radishes, spinach, turnips, and rutabagas, etc. I wouldn't want to be without mine!


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

rockhound said:


> Attach a funnel made from plastic bottle and the pipe planter is hard to beat.


And that is what i did and it works very well . 
As i said earlier the ground here is rather coarse this year being newly turned ground so decided to wait on buying a mechanical planter.
picture of manual seed planter:










Everything i needed for the pipe planter was already here.
The plastic water bottle actually screwed into the threads on the female pipe fitting .
I added a coupling to extend the length of the pipe and a tee on the bottom allowed me to 
add a horizontal piece for seed spacing measurement. This one is 9" for corn ,some electric tape holds the fittings together .
with a fanny pack on the left hip holding a round container for the seed big enough to put my hand in and the pipe planter in my right hand we are in business.
Probably took 30 mins. tops to place 400 corn seed. 
No bending or measuring required :thumb: FWIW


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## frankva (May 21, 2009)

Fine looking unit. You going to modify the spacer for other seed like squash?

Keep your eyes peeled for a wheeled planter. If I see one under $20 you want it?


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## woodsy (Oct 13, 2008)

frankva said:


> Fine looking unit. You going to modify the spacer for other seed like squash?
> 
> Keep your eyes peeled for a wheeled planter. If I see one under $20 you want it?



Looks like i will pass on the mechanical planter idea, that free pipe rig works slick, nothing to have to frig with is good.

Will probably end up cutting some different length spacers next year.


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## jdrobison (May 28, 2012)

we always plant a lot of sweet corn in 3 diff patches about 3 weeks apart. each patch is 150 feet long 50 feet wide. I use an old 2 row field planter behind the garden tractor. also have an old horse drawn cultivator I can pull with the GT to keep the weeds out. :thumb:


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