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• Slow down – planting native grass seed should be done at 3-5 mph. This ensures proper seed placement, higher germination rates, and reduces packing and clumping of fluffy seed.

• Proper depth – the proper depth for planting is ¼ inch.  Seed planted deeper than ½ inch will likely not germinate.

• Filling the seed box – fill the seed box loosely. Packed seed will cause the calibration to be inaccurate.

• Monitor the seed level – keep the sed level in the drill box above the agitator shaft.

• Soil moisture at planting – if the soil is wet enough to stick to the coulters, it is to wet to plant. Fluffy native grass seed will stick to the soil on the coulters and result in poor germination or an uneven stand of native grass.

• Monitor the drill – make sure the drop tubes are not clogged. If a tube is clogged, unplug immediately.

• Recheck the rate – check the rate during planning to make sure the calibration is accurate.

If you are planning to plant native grasses (warm season grasses) be aware that many of these grasses do not establish well with conventional methods because:

• Seed planted to deep will not germinate

• Seed is to fine and passes through conventional drills

• Seed is too fluffy and does not pass through conventional drills

Special site preparation and a specialized drill are needed to assure a successful planting. For more information on operation of drill visit this link. Video tutorial of calibration process is available at this link.