I have read everything I could find and am now sold on the cover crop concept for our pastures for the next several years.
Fertilizing 200#/ac 20-10-5 to meet soils test requirements this weekend, that followed by the cover crop mix going in and a late winter drilling of what ever cool weather pasture grasses I come up with.
The mixture the local seed company has for "Fall/Winter Cover Crop" is Winter Rye, Hairy Vetch, Turnip, Radish, Dwarf Essex Rapeseed and Winter Peas, pre mixed and recommended at 40#/ac, 3/4-1" deep. Due to the varied seed size I asked the best method to sow the mixture and was told to use the grain boxes on an old IH press wheel seed drill I have.
Prepping to get this drilled in this weekend, last evening I made a test run with the drill (first time used after its mechanical restoration, K model I think) and monitored the seed drop out of each compartment at various settings with some left over Dryland wheat seed I had. All appears to be fine but even at the lowest setting, that is a Lot of seed going through the large grain drops!
My drill also has grass seed boxes and have put new drop tubes on those but, while having not yet seen the seed mix I suspect the peas wouldn't meter out of those. I also have a 3 point broadcast spreader, a terribly used up disc and a cultipacker.
Duct tape to restrict the flow in the grain bin or lightly disc, broadcast and cultipack?
Fertilizing 200#/ac 20-10-5 to meet soils test requirements this weekend, that followed by the cover crop mix going in and a late winter drilling of what ever cool weather pasture grasses I come up with.
The mixture the local seed company has for "Fall/Winter Cover Crop" is Winter Rye, Hairy Vetch, Turnip, Radish, Dwarf Essex Rapeseed and Winter Peas, pre mixed and recommended at 40#/ac, 3/4-1" deep. Due to the varied seed size I asked the best method to sow the mixture and was told to use the grain boxes on an old IH press wheel seed drill I have.
Prepping to get this drilled in this weekend, last evening I made a test run with the drill (first time used after its mechanical restoration, K model I think) and monitored the seed drop out of each compartment at various settings with some left over Dryland wheat seed I had. All appears to be fine but even at the lowest setting, that is a Lot of seed going through the large grain drops!
My drill also has grass seed boxes and have put new drop tubes on those but, while having not yet seen the seed mix I suspect the peas wouldn't meter out of those. I also have a 3 point broadcast spreader, a terribly used up disc and a cultipacker.
Duct tape to restrict the flow in the grain bin or lightly disc, broadcast and cultipack?