"Worst But" 1-Row Garden Seeder

Worst But 1-Row Garden Seeder FARM HOME Miscellaneous The Lambert 1-row garden seeder looked great on paper In my garden it just didn’t measure up When I wrote up a description of the Lambert All-In-One Garden Row Seeder in the last issue Vol 36 No 2 I was impressed with its multiple plates row marker and fertilizer spreader We ordered one and put it to the test in freshly tilled garden soil Results were less than positive The instructions were inadequate with virtually no diagrams except for the assembly schematic and a photo on the cover Plastic seed plates were helpfully labeled for seed type However only two out of 6 indicated what row spacing could be expected with each plate Spacing was indicated for medium peas and beans but not for small peas or large beans Small scoops around the circumference of the plate are intended to grab a seed and lift it half way up the seed hopper’s side to an outlet for a tube that drops the seed behind an opener shoe “While it was hard to see what actually dropped down the tube it was clear to see that multiple seeds were often carried up to the outlet Other times seeds slipped between the plate and the side wall We tried to plant two packets of carrot seed and the seed plate barely dipped into the pile After failing to determine how many seeds made it to the row the test was moved to a concrete driveway An attempt was made to drop sunflower seeds While the seed plate suggested it would produce a 9-in spacing the seeder actually delivered a dozen or more seeds per linear foot A row marker seemed like a handy attachment However when positioned as shown in promotional pictures it caught and dug into the soil causing a problem One feature that worked as suggested was the fertilizer hopper It could be adjusted for 1 2 or 3-lb per 100 ft application rates When checked on the concrete driveway it delivered within an ounce of a pound per 100-ft A very real problem with the unit was the inability to back up at all Once the seed plate was in place backing up caused it to come loose This required seed to be removed from the hopper before the plate could be reinstalled While the directions did include a warning to this effect no mention of it was made in promotional materials Another apparent feature was a removable plastic plug in the seed hopper Suggested as an easy way to empty the seed hopper the instructions said push in on the center However after removal the first time the soft plastic edge had been deformed and could not be replaced While the All-In-One looked good actual use was a disappointment

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