# Cultipacker or drag harrow for clover planting



## ElSuenoFarms (Sep 28, 2016)

Trying to decide if a cultipacker is worth the investment for planting about 15 acres of clover.
I have a drag harrow, but the seed providers claim a firm seed bed is preferred.

What do you use or prefer?


----------



## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

I usually use a small grain drill like a JD 8300, etc. I drop the discs lightly into firm ground but pull the grain drop tubes out of the disc boot and let the seed fall on top of the ground if there is no moisture close to the surface.

Cultipacker, or broadcast.....it takes a rain to get it growing, but if moisture is close to the surface, a drill can put it there. But be careful not to get it too deep.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Any kind of drill (I assume the cultipacker you are refering to does that as well as works the ground a little) will do better than broadcasting (I assume that's what you were going to do before the harrow). I have broadcast it and used a homemade drag to knock it down into the soil and I have had it drilled. If I scalp the grass (cut to 1" tall or so) a few days after a rain a few days after planting, it seems to do pretty well. That's what I did this year and the clover seems to be taking over. I planted with the broadcaster before and did not cut the grass that close and the grass just took over. I think RENTING some kind of drill might be worthwhile. Buying a drill is too expensive for 15 acres, in my opinion. I thought about renting a cultipacker but never got around to it. It's a lot of trouble to find one, drive there, get it on a trailer, drive back to my place etc. but if I had the time, it probably would be worth doing.


----------



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I don't have a drill. When I plant clover or alfalfa, I cut my soil with a disc harrow. I cut it several times to get a good clump free tilling. I then cultipack, then broadcast the seed, then cultipack again, running perpendicular across from the first way it was cultipacked. With small seed I get a much more even distribution if I get the seed mixed with fertilizer, and spread with a pull behind fertilizer buggy. The last alfalfa that I planted, a small 4 acre field, I got the seed mixed with 1000lbs of 5-20-20. The stand was perfectly even and did great. If I was planting 15 acres of stand alone clover, I would do it the same way, unless rented a no til drill, which I have done before.


----------



## cbay (Mar 27, 2017)

We use a spike tooth harrow but it can bury clover seed too deep depending on the soil conditions. Would love to have a cultipacker.


----------



## ElSuenoFarms (Sep 28, 2016)

No till drills are very hard to find for rent, those that had them for rent have discontinued it due to the drills returned damaged. Cultipacker are hard to find used, at least the size I need, 6 to 8 ft., and new ones are not cheap. I have an 8' disc harrow and a 6' chain/drag harrow. Will most likely get a cultipacker new and pull it behind my rtv, disc the place multiple times, and broadcast and cultipacker the seed this fall, thanks for the info and suggestions.


----------



## Kenww (Apr 14, 2013)

A drag harrow turned upside down works good sometimes.


----------

