Welp, that didn't go too good

[talltimber]

Was going to spread some clover seed. Spreader I had bought last fall didn't come with a setting chart. Put four pounds of red clover in it and just cracked the gates a tad and took off. Ran out, and measure up 0.144 acres. I am putting out about 28 lbs an acre or so and wanted 5 lbs. Gonna have to adjust something. Going about 4 mph, better not try much faster than that, so gotta figure out how to cut it down some. I knew this was gonna be a pia.

 

[M-5]

What spreader is it

 

[JSCATTLE]

Sounds like your spreader isn't designed for small seed like clover . Try mixing it with fertilizer.

 

[BC]

You can mix it with motar sand to cut it.

 

[Nesikep]

I made blockoff plates that covered the inside 2/3rds of the slots on my JD spreader to be better able to spread small seed.. That said, I always use a Brillion type for small seed.. soo much more accurate.
4mph is pretty slow, with clover seed I'd aim for 6-8mph and put 40-50 feet between passes.. of course terrain allowing!

 

[kilroy60]

Ever heard of mixing clover seed in with cattle feed? Friend of mine swears that this is the cheapest and best way to sow clover seed. Seed is so small that they pass straight through the cow in the manure and plants itself. He has a pasture full of clover.

 

[talltimber]

This is a "Farmer's Friend" three pt spreader, same basic design as a Tarter, double gates, iirc on them. No spread chart that was readable when I bought it used. A sticker on it was from a auto dealership in Meridian, MS iirc. Dead end lead.
I had never spread clover before, ever, not even hand sown, so I was surprised at how small it was. Guy at the feed store told me to open the gates about like a toothpick. I fiddled with them, couldn't hardly see it going out to guess spread width, and I was standing next to the spreader moving gates open and closed. Couldn't hardly see it at all, just had to look on the ground and seen some out 12 or so feet each side, so I went with 25'. I had it on the third hole, will move it back to two and try again. Four mph is plenty fast, for the ground is rough in places, but I may have to speed it up some if I can't get the gates right.
The sand idea, will the clover seed and sand not segregate by the time I get it spread?
The blocking off is a good idea as well. I may have room to tack some sheet metal in there, if the whirligig in the bottom doesn't come too close to the gates and hit it.
I am trying to put down five, but if I could get it to 8lb/ac then I would go with that. That is what I have seen recommended in places anyway. I have some wild white clover in there but I wanted to try this and see how it works, if it works. Went with red clover so I can tell what it did.
One other thought, the spreader bats/paddles are rough with surface rust/primer. My thoughts were that would throw it farther, but I may have that backwards. Any reason to shine them up with a wire brush?

 

[aaroninga]

I spread mine a couple weeks ago with a modified yard spreader, mixed with play sand. 10 pounds seed to 50# sand after mixing it in a protein tub.
It did pretty good but seed did float to the top a little. Just stopped and mixed by hand a few times.
I just have 10 acres to do.

 

[aaroninga]

I'll shorten the tongue before I use it again so it won't be so tipsy.

 

[aaroninga]

 

[aaroninga]

Modified by taking the axle out and flipping end to end so it turns the right direction, pulling instead of pushing.
I didn't want to use my 3 point spreader and tear up young fescue and oats since it's finally growing some.

 

[BRYANT]

Ever heard of mixing clover seed in with cattle feed? Friend of mine swears that this is the cheapest and best way to sow clover seed. Seed is so small that they pass straight through the cow in the manure and plants itself. He has a pasture full of clover.

I have heard of that also, but don't have a clue if it will work or not????? I would like to know also??

 

[HDRider]

I mixed clover with P&K put 2# to an acre of clover with 45# of P and 60# of K to the acre. That was in a big fertilizer buggy.

 

[talltimber]

White clover, HD? and did you notice if it segregated very much?

I tried again this evening and had a little better luck. Cut the gates one hole, sped up some. On my short test strip with three pounds, I covered around 0.5 acres, so I went with that. That will put me at around six pounds/acre of red clover. If that will hold for this patch of around 20 acres I should run short a litte bit. There was areas today that was too wet to cross but maybe I can get over it before the rain called for on Friday.