Crazy idea.... (late June pics added)

[Jim Boyd]

My old one row planter was attacked by a rabid pine tree.

Broke the drive wheel housing and I could not repair.

No new equipment money in sight and would like to plant 50 lbs RR field corn.

Got a crazy idea - I cut down an ald MF drill a few years ago and made a 3 pt unit out of it.

I’m thinking of taping off all but the outer two (left and right) and the center seed feeding holes and using it to plant corn.

I will need to measure but I think the row width will be 30-32”.

If it is too wide row wise, I can choose a different seed opening combination.

Too crazy?

Too unconventional?

Here are some project pics but the drill does not look this now. Too many bags of seed and too much time on the old gal now.

Input appreciated folks!!!!!

 

[Milkman]

Do you plan to cultivate or spray it ?

If not row width won’t matter.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Think it is 9” spacing.

If I used 1, 4 and 7 it would be 27” rows.

I think.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Do you plan to cultivate or spray it ?

If not row width won’t matter.

Yes I will cultivate it and spray it if my cultivator will set to the right widths.

If the cultivator is a no-go, I wil just spray it.

Gonna plant the corn about 9-12 rows wide and skip 15-20 feet and plant the corn rows again.

The big disc is 8’ so the gaps would be 16 or 24’ wide, roughly.

After I spray it the last time (maybe the only time), I will put my summer mix in the gaps.

Would like to stretch the corn out to 3 acres in this manner - maybe a little more.


Looking to create some deer feeding and partial cover in the plots.

Had a two acre corn field a few years ago and an 8 pt basically lived in the field til I bush hogged it down.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

I'd do 147 and have 27in rows, corn is normally on 30s anyway. Or save money and do 17 and have wide rows and less seed. To get 3 acres out of a bag you need a population of 27k per acre and wider rows would be best, ideally 38in rows to have a decent stand.

 

[Canuck5]

Not a crazy idea at all! Just measure your spacing first, since it might be 7.5", then check the spacing on your cultivator. My only suggestion is to make sure you disc your ground deep enough, since corn likes to be planted a little deeper than grain.

There are all sorts of row spacing with corn these days, but deer like to walk down wider spacing!

 

[Canuck5]

And if you want more acreage, do a ragdoll test on a bag of deer corn and plant it. Most deer corn carries the RoundUp gene in it these days, it seems, but test it before you spray.

 

[Jim Boyd]

Not a crazy idea at all! Just measure your spacing first, since it might be 7.5", then check the spacing on your cultivator. My only suggestion is to make sure you disc your ground deep enough, since corn likes to be planted a little deeper than grain.

Great thoughts guys - and much appreciated!

These fields are in oats right now and the soil is easily worked.

I do have some concern about getting the seed 1.5 to 2.0” into the ground. I can crank the tension down on the delivery and try to press it down a little further.

I will measure twice and plant once - but I think for me, narrow rows are better (weed suppression) as long as I can get some rain on it.

I don’t care at all about seeing the deer in the rows, I will primarily be bow hunting the trails and staging areas leading to the fields.

Appreciate all comments!

 

[Canuck5]

There is a lot of field corn being planted on 15" rows, in some areas!

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

Narrow rows would be great, but with only a bag of seed the narrow rows will hurt because 27000 seed to the acre on 15in rows is going to leave big gaps between the plants in those 15 in rows.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

It might would be better to a a twin row planting using just the outside 2 sets and leave the middles wide. Besides, if you start clean and put down atrazine you shouldn't have much in the way of weeds.

 

[Buckfever]

Narrow rows are okay as long as you get the right rains, but could stunt the growth if it doesn't get the required rain.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I went down this past weekend and forgot to measure the spacing.

I am gonna plant the corn it is just a matter of spacing and timing.

The fields are quite clean and yes I can spray them before I plant.

I am gonna wait til I see a good bit of commercial tillable go in before I start planting mine. Need to give the deer some food alternatives.

I had two acres of young corn wiped to the ground a few years ago....

 

[Kdog]

How do you plan to funnel your seed to maintain an even planting? And I know it has been asked, but have you tested to confirm you can get it deep enough?

 

[Jim Boyd]

How do you plan to funnel your seed to maintain an even planting? And I know it has been asked, but have you tested to confirm you can get it deep enough?

Both of those are great questions that I don’t have excellent answers to.

Couple options....

Add a bag of deer corn and see what it does.

Add a couple bags of ICP and plant a mixed field.

Mask or mound off the unused openings so that the “level” of the seed is more likely to go into the open available seed slots.

The early rows don’t worry me. As the seed starts to get gone is the issue.

Worst come to worst, only part of it grows and it is a bust!!!!

 

[Canuck5]

You can also put a cover over the inside hole for dropping the seed, with a smaller hole, to reduce the amount of seed that passes thru

 

[Jim Boyd]

You can also put a cover over the inside hole for dropping the seed, with a smaller hole, to reduce the amount of seed that passes thru

I am gonna wing it.

The drill is very adjustable for seed rates.

On hard dirt road I will lower the drill down and move about 5 feed and work to TRY to determine spacing between plants. That might help with where to set to seed rates - faster or slower.

I fear width and seed depth are the bigger challenges.

May learn something great and it may be a bust - maybe my old butt can learn something!!!!!

 

[Canuck5]

That's the way to do it! Now, another piece of advice!!!!!

Video it, take good notes on what settings were used ..... LOL .... cause if it was me, I wouldn't remember what I did the previous year and what worked and what didn't! LOL

I think you will be pleased!

 

[Jim Boyd]

That's the way to do it! Now, another piece of advice!!!!!

Video it, take good notes on what settings were used ..... LOL .... cause if it was me, I wouldn't remember what I did the previous year and what worked and what didn't! LOL

I think you will be pleased!

No one is more forgetful than me.

I used a Sharpie and wrote my bean / pea and oats/wheat rates on the inside of the lid of the drill.

Got those through trial and effort and would like to avoid the TRIAL and the EFFORT part in the future!!

I need a planter, I know - but for now, I am gonna use what I have.

 

[doomtrpr_z71]

I would worry more about width and seed population, depth isn't as big of a deal, if it's 3/4in deep I'd go with it since you already have the drill.