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Best alternative to a cultipacker

skyleralan

PMA Member
I have burned and tilled some areas of CRP that I will be looking at putting some clover in during the first part of April (will till at least once or twice more).

I am trying to locate a cultipacker, but haven't quite yet. In a pinch, does anyone have a set-up or alternative that they use?
 
You can use a harrow/drag instead on areas a cultipacker would have worked, in many instances
 
15 in straight ribbed plastic culvert 5 ft long. Made end caps from 3/4 in plywood. You will need something for the axle. Rigid conduit/gas pipe. Cut hole in end caps to fit axle. Screw one end cap into pipe. Then stood on end with on 8 in blocks under and slid axle down through end cap. (This allows your axle to stick out of the bottom.) Then filled with 14 bags of quickset concrete and installed other end cap with axle sticking up through it. You will then need a frame/tounge to attach too. I then just used 2 pillow blocks for axle/frame attachment. I found the idea online.
 
I would think if you're just planting clover, fresh till it, broadcast your seed right before a good hard rain and it should be ok.. only needs to be about 1/4" deep anyway
 
Clover seed will sink to deep if planted in unpacked fresh tilled soil. Some will germinate,but most will go too deep.
 
Not mine. but same.
6122-culti3_original.jpg
 
I have some old machinery that is not getting any use, might try to drag out a frame and see if I can make a similar set up. If not, will probably just see go the harrow route. I have also seen the chain linked fence dragged with cement blocks placed on it.
 
If you drag a harrow over clover seed and its too fluffy of ground you might bury it too deep. What I used to do before I owned a cultipacker is just bare up the soil by tilling/ dragging harrow over it to get rid of trash then broadcast seed and roll it in with truck or atv tires. Somewhat time consuming but works like a charm! You dont want to get clover seed to deep in the soil, just pressed into it.
 
If you drag a harrow over clover seed and its too fluffy of ground you might bury it too deep. What I used to do before I owned a cultipacker is just bare up the soil by tilling/ dragging harrow over it to get rid of trash then broadcast seed and roll it in with truck or atv tires. Somewhat time consuming but works like a charm! You dont want to get clover seed to deep in the soil, just pressed into it.

Well, I will be sure to drive over it as well, cover all my bases!
 
Pipe was free. (scrap)
Got 5" culvert Free (plumber friend) This would be most expensive part.
$28 pre mix concrete
$35 (2) pillow block bearings
Hitch and frame made from old scrap trailer.
 
A lawn roller will work the same as a cullipacker. I have used both with good results. For best seed to soil contact and a firm seed bed roll the ground before and after broadcasting clover
 
I made one similar to this setup ... works great! only problem i see is with the weight(mine has 480# concrete inside) and going over rocks, some of the corrugations are getting crushed ... thinking somewhere in the future they'll start to come apart. the corrugations are exterior to the central pipe, not directly molded in ... also, i used 3/4 rod for the axle instead of pipe, figured the pipe might not last at the ends pulling all that weight ...
 
I've used the top of a pine tree in a pinch. Just cut it off at the base and tie it to a rope and pull with an atv. Smooths it out and buries the seed just a little bit. Using a little/light pine tree it didn't stir the dirt too deep, just enough to get soil around it before a rain. Worked great for me.
 
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