Broadcasting beans

[Hoosier hawkeye]

Looking for some advice on the best way to do this. I have the option to disc or till. Would you disc or till then broadcast and cultipack or would you broadcast then disc or till then cultipack? I'm not sure which is best for getting the seeds deep enough without getting them too deep. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I have tilled, broadcast and ran tiller back over seed to cover and not had any problem. Beans will grow with just a little soil contact. If you can do this before a rain even better to set the seed.

 

[dogdoc]

Like blizzard I till, broadcast the beans, then set my tiller to a depth of about 1" and lightly till to cover the beans. This puts most of them about 1/2" deep. I might drag after that to smooth everything out but not always. Hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Hoosier hawkeye]

Would you cultipack it after you tilled them under?

 

[Elkaddict]

We disc, broadcast, disc lightly and cultipack. I find the cultipacking really helps for both corn and beans.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

Would you cultipack it after you tilled them under?

If you have a cultipacker i would pack if not they will still grow just fine.

 

[Hoosier hawkeye]

Thanks for the advice guys. While we're at it, do you guys typically put down any fertilizer for you soybeans? The ground is pretty fertile but didn't know if anyone usually adds anything to their soils?

 

[Elkaddict]

I'd get a soil test. If I couldn't get results in time, I'd throw down 250lbs of 6-24-24. No science behind this number, but it has worked for us. Please note I'm planting in relatively infertile ground some of which was previously woods. I'm still working on ph levels so we'll broadcast one to two pallets of lime per acre as well. These soils were high 4s a couple years ago.

 

[dogdoc]

No doubt if I had a cultipacker I would use it.
I don't fertilize but for optimum performance a cheap soil test can tell you what you need in fertilizer. My very first planting I did a soil test then limed, and fertilized but haven't since and I'm on my 6th year at the same spot.

 

[Hoosier hawkeye]

Thanks guys. Helpful info

 

[BradB]

This year I simply spread the beans and then disced them in. Turned out great. If I had a cultipacker I would use it.

 

[ColdOne]

There is the potential for a poor result if the soybean seed comes into direct contact with fertilizer. Whenever I have planted beans I have put down fertilizer a week or so ahead of time and disked, let it get rained on, then broadcast the seed and lightly disk and harrow it. I have had great success broadcasting beans.

 

[Elkaddict]

Cold, could you please how this happens? I've not heard of this before. Does it happen with any particular fertilizer?

 

[j-bird]

Based on my own experiences with a tiller I would broadcast your fertilizer and lime, till the plot, broadcast your seed and then cultipack if you have one or simply use the tires from your tractor, ATV, lawn mower to push the seed into the seed bed. I am really considering doing this this year instead of using my planter simply for something different. The "fluffy" seed bed a tiller makes - makes pushing seed into the soil a breeze and you don;t risk smashing the seed. It also allows the kids to help - I just tell them to go drive around in the dirt and they will have a blast.....they will have no idea they are helping! I am also considering adding in some corn or sorghum for some cover as well. If I add corn it will be RR and planted at the same time as the beans. If I use sorghum it will be after the gly application to address any weeds. Sure I could save some seed by row planting, but I like to try different things and my seed is mostly free anyway so big deal.

 

[ColdOne]

The soybean seed is sensitive to anything containing salt and will damage the seed if they come into contact.

 

[Smokinbenelli]

I have minimal equipment. Last year I started by spraying the field. Two weeks later, I ran back to do my planting. I ran a disc over the field. Some spots I hit 3 times to get it broke up. I broad cast my realworld beans at about a 1.5 bags an acre. Then I disced over them. I did borrow a 5' lawn roller from my neighbor. I ran several passes in the field with plenty of non rolled space in between. I wanted to see if there would be difference. There seems to be a better germination rate in the rolled areas. Disc, broadcast disc works for me