earthway garden seeder?

Bird · Apr 11, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Didn't have the fertilizer holder )</font>

Pete, all your post sounds very familiar except that comment about the fertilizer holder; don't know what you meant by that. I, too, used a string to lay out the rows. I started by driving stakes (half inch steel) at each end of all the rows, then strung a string to follow with the planter. And for my green beans and blackeyed peas, I liked double rows; ran the planter down one side of the string and back down the other side. For the other seeds, I'd just go down one side of the string. Both my water hydrants were one the same side of the garden, so after the seeds sprouted I'd pull all the stakes on the opposite side, but leave those on the side where the water hydrants were so they served as guides so I could drag a water hose down between the rows without it getting on any of the plants.

sassafraspete · Apr 11, 2004

Bird, I think you can get an optional fertilizer hopper attachment for them (TIMB mentioned in his post). Seems like it would be good for corn...which needs a lot of nitrogen. I usually side dress my corn after it is up. I always wondered if the fertilizer hopper would make it tipsy. I have knocked my planter over many times and had to pick up spilled beans/corn. They could make a better stand. I still like my old fashion push plow for some things. For peas, I also would make double rows (down each side of the string), however I like to really sow them thick...(I think they do better)...so use the push plow. Your mention of the blackeyed peas...really makes me hungry. My wife has southern roots, and when we got married, I was soon planting crowder peas, blackeyed peas, and collard greens. As a northerner...I'd never grown any of those. Now, I'd take the crowder peas and corn bread, any day over the horticulture shell-outs we planted. Funny, thing, my folks also started enjoying these southern treats as well. Gee, all this garden talk is making me hungry. The defining garden moment for me is picking that first tomato. Sinking my teeth into the sweet corn would have to come in second.

pete

Libertine · Apr 12, 2004

greenthumb:
As some others have said, the Earthway works fine however, the seed bed has to be "just right" (not too wet, correct fineness, etc). Also, even with all their seed plates, some smaller seeds don't space well & you'll still need to do some thinning. Their seed plates interchange with the older Golden Harvest brand seeder (made by a different company) which does a bit better job covering the seed. I recently restored an older Golden Harvest and like the way it "handles" a bit better than the Earthway.
Also available are the old Planet Jr which is far heavier and better made (not made any more, but can be picked up used for around $150+ in good condition). Finally, if you want to go top of the line look at the Nibex (made in Sweden).
Happy seeding.
JEH
PS Regarding the fertilizer attachment, I have found it works fine IF you have exactly the right consistency and what you are side dressing isn't the wrong size, the least bit moist, etc. In short the Earthway is excellent IF all the conditions are perfect, but it doesn't have as much flexibility for less than perfect conditions.

john sharp · Apr 6, 2011

I picked up a golden harvest planter off of craigs list anyone know what the number sequence for the plates are,I can see the corn plate is the large spacing not sure of the rest thx.

jbooth · Apr 6, 2011

Heres a youtube video of the cajun gardener. He tells how he sets up his earthway planter. He has a lot of other videos concerning gardens/gardeners. He's a good southern boy and talks slow enough to understand. Could drag a short chain (better make that a short light chain since this is a pusher) to help covering the seed.

YouTube - Setting your EarthWay Planter - Growing a Vegetable Garden