I was just curious how many of you use a cultipacker on your food plots or if you just maybe use a drag. I was thinking about buying one but I didn't know if a chain drag was just as good.
I've used both. The culitpacker is probably the best way and easiest way to get good compaction and seed to soil contact. It also leaves ridges that allow moisture to be collected and trapped. A drag will do the trick too though. I have used a piece of ladder stand with a log chain wrapped around it and a tire on top. Just drug it around to cover and compact the soil. I can't say that I really noticed any difference in the germination rate between the two processes I've used. But, boy does the cultipacked field look pretty
yeah I have used an old baseball diamond drag for a couple years on some of our tiny plots but it is on its last leg and I have been looking at these cultipackers to go along with our new Kabota. I used to just do tiny kill plots because I didn't have to right tools. The minute we purchased our Kabota this fall the bug bit me and all I can think about are all the food plot and habitat imrpovements possibilities. My wife says I have issues lol!
What seeds you mainly plant? I dont have a cultipacker,but a fence gate drag has worked for me. Or in a few super small plots my 4 wheeler driving back and forth did the trick.
Jake, For the past few years we have mainly been planting throw and grow in a few small kill plots. We do have a clover plot thats about 1/4 acre but thats it. This year we are stepping up our game and we have plans to go big! The nearest ag field is about a mile or so away from our property so we are going to try and have food available all year long with food plots, hing cutting, and we also run a feeder from Jan-April. I don't actually need a cultipacker. I could probably rig up somthing else.
nice to have for sure. Keep a eye out on craigslist or ask around at local farms. I am keeping a eye out for one. I can get by with out one yes and have done so for a few years, but I have a 4 3pt tiller and that makes the soil flufffffffffy.
Cultipackers are very nice, they help establish a smooth seedbed especially for small seeds. I plan to make a smaller one that I can pull behind my atv out of a piece of 12 inch culvert/tile. I think I seen it on QDMA's website and some other website which showed how to make your own for cheap.
I seen that culvert idea also on qdma and dont seem that tough. I got to think of something or find something one of these years.
Jake. Look used look in barnyards etc. mine was starting to get covered with weeds. I think I could have got it for free. I'm in Antigo. Do you want me to keep an eye out for one?
Consider going zero-till and forget about working soil would be my advice. Conventional tillage destroys the soil structure and SOM. I practice zero-till with high residue and high soil organic matter and I don't miss making multiple trips through a field trying to get a seed bed only to see the field compact and sheet water off after the first 1/4" of rain.....at all. Crops are way better and the soil tests are easier to amend and maintain. I know not everyone has access to a no-till but planters are pretty easy to convert on the cheap....well worth it in the long run. Saves time, trouble, fertilizer and soil.
For sure keep a eye out! I live over towards Wausau and know some people in Antigo. I been doing some fence row shopping so to speak, but never got serious really. Thanks!
