To drill or broadcast

[BAR_R]

To drill or broadcast that is the question.

I have 20 ac with 4 year old Alfalfa on it. I drilled Orchard, Red Clover and Brome last year. This year you can see all my rows (and a few spots I missed) greening up in the field. Everything seems to be growing well to the supprise of my wife and friends.

I would like to put somemore Clover and Timothy in to help thicken the stand.

I am going to apply fert (according to my soil sample 80lb 15-45-0 and 60 lb 0-0-60) a few of by neighbors say I should have the fert company mix the seed with the fert and broadcast it with the buggy. I was thinking I should go back and drill after I spread.

Will it hurt the plants from last year to drill over them? Would I loose quite a bit of seedlings by not drilling?

Thanks

 

[bandit80]

I would think you would damage some of the new growth by running a drill over the ground. And I also don't think you would get a very good stand by broadcasting the seed.

If you can, maybe wait until very late summer or very early fall and drill your timothy and clover.