Tiller or disc?

What’s better to get large seed deep enough for germination?

Should I disc, broadcast, disc, cultipack? Or disc, broadcast, till, cultipack?

I would disc, broadcast, cultipack. I used the TNM method and rarely disc anymore. It takes the larger seeds a little longer and you have to increase your seed rate, but it has worked well in my soils.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You should never till with a rotary tine tiller after seeding. It's too inconsistent, and is going to give poor results. Some of the seeds would get buried too deep, some would be on top, and some might even get smashed.
For small seeds, disc, cultipack, broadcast, cultipack. For larger seeds Doc got it right; disc, broadcast, cultipack. This second method results in the seeds falling into the grooves that the disc cut and getting buried deeper when it's rolled. This method would bury small seeds like clover and brassica too deep, but is perfect for bigger seeds. When broadcasting seed always ad 15 to 25% to the recommended seeding rates.

In my rocky ground I've tilled, broadcast, disc, cultipack, and have had good results.

I think it’s better to disk, broadcast large seed, DISK AGAIN (but only a couple inches deep), then cultipack. I’ve tried it both ways (with and without the disking after broadcasting), and the plantings that included the second disk germinated much better.

With my coarse soil I can use a tiller, broadcast and then I use my tractor tires to pack the soil. I have done this with soybeans in the past. A planter/drill works much better for controlling seed depth....but I understand that they may not always be an option. Like was mentioned a higher rate of seed should be used as your germination success tends to be lower due the the variation of the planting depth with this method.

cutman said:

I think it’s better to disk, broadcast large seed, DISK AGAIN (but only a couple inches deep), then cultipack. I’ve tried it both ways (with and without the disking after broadcasting), and the plantings that included the second disk germinated much better.

Click to expand...

This is my experience as well. The only time I use my tiller is if I have a small area and repeated passes with the disco would be challenging.

I only disk and only put out wheat plots between Sept 1 to 15th. Disk it, broad seed then 13-13-13. Then a cut a cedar and drag over the plot [not use the disk, only the cedar tree]. Like somebody said, I figure 1/3 is too deep, 1/3 is on top, and 1/3 is perfect. so get plenty seeds out, it's cheap (~$5 per bag) and use plenty seeds - get it. I think a farmers use about 150 to 200# / acre I think but they don't carry about the wheat <grass> but want the heads, we don't care about the heads, we want plenty "grass" over winter.

the disk will run right over a stump or big rocks, etc but tillers will throw the tractor all over the place LOL When it gets a little warm during winter, the "grass" grows a little more too.

My plots are in/near my woods and have never plowed, etc so the disk is perfect like this. I figure a 1 acre plot per 40 acre

plus tiller, etc cost a lot of money, I'm POOR, poor talk about me being poor.....

cutman said:

I think it’s better to disk, broadcast large seed, DISK AGAIN (but only a couple inches deep), then cultipack. I’ve tried it both ways (with and without the disking after broadcasting), and the plantings that included the second disk germinated much better.

Click to expand...

This is what I do for larger seed like my summer blend and fall grain mix. It works well for me.