New Grasslander Seeder Handles Fluffy Trashy Seed

New grasslander seeder handles fluffy trashy seed PLANTING EQUIPMENT Drills (19) 15-4-26 "We think it's the most revolutionary grass seeder on the market," says Chuck Grimes of the "Grasslander" packer-seeder he developed and is now manufacturing on his Hennessey, Okla, ranch. "It'll plant bluestems and other fluffy and trashy seeds without clogging, and is virtu-ally maintenance free, thanks to the old tire casings and simplicity in design which does not include conventional banded disks," says Grimes who feels that banded disks "are a joke. They're expensive to maintain and difficult to tension. They go too deep in soft ground, won't break the crust on hard ground, and plug when it's wet. "Instead of trying to prepare the seedbed with the seeder, it makes much more sense to plant in a prepared seedbed, or to tow the seeder behind a real tillage tool, such as an offset or tandem disk, to achieve optimum seed-soil contact - without the costly maintenance of banded disks." The Grasslander broadcasts seed on top of the ground via 5 in. tubes. Used tire casings (there's no air in them) roll the seed shallow ù from 0 to 1/4-in. deep. "They firm the soil around the seed, knocking out air pockets and ensuring good soil-to-seed contact to take maximum advantage of available moisture. With the Grasslander, we can develop a good stand even under marginal moisture conditions," notes Grimes, who served as a Range Conservationist for 8 years before starting his own grass seed and ranching operation in 1971. A 3-step process provides accurate calibration of the Grasslander in about 30 minutes. "So far we haven't found any seed we couldn't calibrate and meter," says Grimes. "We have sown native and old world bluestems, small grains, alfalfa, love-grass, native wildflowers, kochia and tall wheatgrass. Flat tires are no problem since the packer tires are always flat and easily float over rocks or other obstacles. A 10 ft. wide seeder will plant up to 12 acres per hour, depending on smoothness of the seedbed." Available in models from 3 ft. ($2,700) to 15 ft. ($7,500) wide. Optional seedbox for seeding legumes and other slick-seeded grasses ranges in cost from $400 for the smallest Grasslander to $1,500 for the largest. Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Grasslander Seeder, Chuck Grimes, Manufacturer; Rt. 1, Box 56, Hennessey, Okla. 73742 (ph 405 853-2607).

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