First-Of-Its-Kind Tree Seed Planter

First-Of-Its-Kind Tree Seed Planter PLANTERS Planters 17-6-4 "It looks primitive but works great," says Larry Krotz, Washington, Iowa, who made a 3-pt. "tree seed" planter that digs a 4-in. wide furrow. He drops walnuts, hickory nuts, or acorns into the seed trench via a 3-in. dia. pvc tube. A log chain dragged be-hind covers the furrow. Krotz estimates he's planted almost half a million trees with his "tree seeder" over the past six years on CRP acres. "I built it because I couldn't find a commercial tree seed planter. There are a lot of tree trans-planters but no tree seeders. I had been growing and transplanting my own nursery stock, but I wasn't happy with the results because of transplant shock. Transplanted seedlings grew only a few inches per year. But trees planted by seed will grow 8 to 24 in. in just the first year. I've got red oaks planted by seed four years ago that are already 10 ft. tall. Seedlings that I trans-planted at the same time aren'teven 3 ft. tall. I'm convinced that natural seeding is the way to go." Krotz gathers acorns, walnuts and other tree seeds from friends' and neighbors' trees. He made the planter's big furrow opener out of a cultivator sweep with sheet metal sides that keep dirt out of the furrow. He pulls it at about 1/2 mph, dropping seeds by hand into the pvc seed tube, spacing them about 1 ft. apart. Using the tractor 3-pt. to control depth, he plants most seeds about 1 in. deep. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry D. Krotz, 2750230th St., Washington, Iowa 52353 (ph 319 653-4959).

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