Collecting Grass Seed

[Jogeephus]

I was at a friend's place and we were both whining about the high cost of seed and fertilizer - you know the song. He told me he had collected all his seed for his pasture by cutting two 50 gallon metal drums in half and mounting them to a board then mounting this rig to the front bumper of his truck. With the lip of the cut of the barrel slightly tilted outward, this rig hit the grass heads thus stripping the seed off the bahia grass and into the barrel halves. He said in one afternoon he collected enough seed to plant the pasture we were looking at. At $3/lb, I'm figuring he saved himself quite a bit of money with this little rig. Sorry, I don't have any pictures but if you've ever noticed all the seed collected on your bumper you get the gist of the system.

 

[CUZ]

In-laws run their combine over a few of their fescue pastures and sell most of the seed. What they keep for their own use they send to a guy who "cleans" the seed. Not sure what the cleaner does, but the seed comes back to them with almost all the trash gone out of it.

I reckon your "barrel" buddy would find it helpful to send his collection to a cleaner also.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Cuz,

There is an old guy that I know that puts the seed in a concrete mixer and tumbles it. He takes an air hose and blows across the open end of the mixer and a little into it. The seed is heavier and settles to the bottom. The dried chaf rises to the top and is blown out. The tumbling seems to break the chaf loose.

 

[Jogeephus]

Cuz, you are right. Uncleaned seed won't work too well in a drill but it works ok in a cone seeder with an agitater. We have two seed mills near us that will clean and bag seed for you. Works out pretty good. I can get some seed combined on halves and the guy will carry the seed to the mill for me. Don't even have to get my hands dirty. I like the arrangement.

 

[novatech]

I was at a friend's place and we were both whining about the high cost of seed and fertilizer - you know the song. He told me he had collected all his seed for his pasture by cutting two 50 gallon metal drums in half and mounting them to a board then mounting this rig to the front bumper of his truck. With the lip of the cut of the barrel slightly tilted outward, this rig hit the grass heads thus stripping the seed off the bahia grass and into the barrel halves. He said in one afternoon he collected enough seed to plant the pasture we were looking at. At $3/lb, I'm figuring he saved himself quite a bit of money with this little rig. Sorry, I don't have any pictures but if you've ever noticed all the seed collected on your bumper you get the gist of the system.

A friend of mine mounted 2 barrels behind a cycle mower and put skids under it for height adjustment.
I bought an old antique seed cleaner at an auction several years ago. Basically it is a set of screens vibrator and adjustable blower.
I have also just cut and bailed (small squares) of grass with mature seed heads and spread it in the pasture.
Bluestem gave me a great idea sometime ago. To spread seeds in a mixed pasture you can sprinkle it on lick tubs and let the cattle do it. Great for getting legumes started.

 

[Rangenerd]

Sounds like a good way to light the field on fire to me. And with $3+ gas I really don't know how much money you are saving.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like a good way to light the field on fire to me. And with $3+ gas I really don't know how much money you are saving.

Nerd, I seriously doubt I could ever burn up $600 worth a diesel in one afternoon - this is approximately the amount of money my friend saved by collecting his own seed. This is a pretty good chunk of change when you figure Bessie isn't going to net you that much in a year's time. Also, I haven't figured out how to burn green grass either. Please enlighten me on how ya'll do it in California - I like to be open minded.

NT, that sounds like a pretty good setup. Its amazing how quickly seed can build up on a mower deck. I've swept this in a bucket and sown it around the pond. Got a pretty good stand of Tift 9 there now and didn't spend a dime - didn't burn down the farm either. ;-)

 

[Horseless]

Using a combine is by far the easiest way unless you are talking very small acreages. On ground that was to rough to run a combine on, I built a stripper header that mounts on the loader of a tractor. The header has a hydraulic driven rebar reel that knocks the seed off into the header. When the header is full just dump it into a truck.

 

[novatech]

Using a combine is by far the easiest way unless you are talking very small acreages. On ground that was to rough to run a combine on, I built a stripper header that mounts on the loader of a tractor. The header has a hydraulic driven rebar reel that knocks the seed off into the header. When the header is full just dump it into a truck.

I sure would be intrested in seeing some pictures.

 

[Florida cattle]

Joe the drums with a old Sickle mower bar welded too the front lip and mounted on a four wheeler works pretty good too, and dosent burn as much grass as a truck or tractor. I've seen one and now that is on my to do list of projects.

 

[Jogeephus]

Joe the drums with a old Sickle mower bar welded too the front lip and mounted on a four wheeler works pretty good too, and dosent burn as much grass as a truck or tractor. I've seen one and now that is on my to do list of projects.

I imagine that would do a pretty good job cleaning the seed too as the sickle bar would shear the seed to some degree. Heck, I could probably get a pound or two if I just put some plastic under the front of my truck when I blow out the radiator. :oops:

 

[Florida cattle]

Joe
I've also had places where I cleared in the winter and I'd feed Bahia hay on the cleared ground and in the spring I'd have it coming up on the new ground.

 

[dyates]

What happened to putting up quality hay? If you mow on time, there shouldn't be enough mature seed to make it worth your time. I admit that I seldom mow on time, but I don't need another excuse. Then again, most of what we have is endophyte infected fescue. If you don't keep it mowed before the seedheads mature, you're asking for trouble.

 

[jj216]

Bahia is a different ball game.You'd be a busy sumbuck mowing everytime a seed head came up.And you'd never have any hay or forage.

 

[Florida cattle]

Bahia is a different ball game.You'd be a busy sumbuck mowing everytime a seed head came up.And you'd never have any hay or forage.

Amen to that
I just wish I could figure out how to get the bahia in my fertlized hay fields to grow as fast as the bahia that I don't fertlize :???: in the lawn. :mad:

 

[KenB]

Bahia is a different ball game.You'd be a busy sumbuck mowing everytime a seed head came up.And you'd never have any hay or forage.

Amen to that
I just wish I could figure out how to get the bahia in my fertlized hay fields to grow as fast as the bahia that I don't fertlize :???: in the lawn. :mad:

The bahia in my yard produces mostly seed heads, and they don't cut worth a darn.

 

[TexasBred]

Bahia is a different ball game.You'd be a busy sumbuck mowing everytime a seed head came up.And you'd never have any hay or forage.

Amen to that
I just wish I could figure out how to get the bahia in my fertlized hay fields to grow as fast as the bahia that I don't fertlize :???: in the lawn. :mad:

The bahia in my yard produces mostly seed heads, and they don't cut worth a darn.

You don't cut bahia...you twist it off....then you go back out tomorrow and twist it off again. All of this is done with the lawn mower. No matter how sharp the blade you still can't cut it....just twist. In the meantime size of the spot of bahia doubles about ever 30 days if not less.
:cry2: :cry2:

 

[mermill2]

I have about an acre behind the house, of fescue, clover, and Johnson grass, that I let go to seed. I go over it with a 10 foot brushog, and it piles up on the deck. All the seed, that I need.

 

[Jogeephus]

I have about an acre behind the house, of fescue, clover, and Johnson grass, that I let go to seed. I go over it with a 10 foot brushog, and it piles up on the deck. All the seed, that I need.

Years ago, a man like you would have been called industrious and thrifty by most folks. I would still extend the compliment to you today as well.

 

[mermill2]

Jogeephus, Thank you for the compliment.