So I may have planted my seed to deep this fall, it’s so dry in western Oklahoma I was using a tiller to bust the ground but it took multiple trips around each plot. I planted 8 days ago (wheat turnips oats winter peas) and very little is coming up. We had a very light rain so I’m holding out hope it just hasn’t got enough moisture to germinate the seed. The dirt is extreme dry but I’m afraid since we tilled the seed in its to deep. Have you guys ever ran into that issue?
What I do seeing I don't have a planter is buy individual seed not mixed. Oats,wheat and peas like it a tad deeper.I disc and then do a quick light drag spread those seeds then harrow drag them in. Then if it's going to rain I'll walk over the with the turnips/ brassica and or the clovers/ alfalfa . This lets the rain seed them in.
I also find when I buy the seed separately I save $$$. If I end up with more seed than I need then I have metal canisters that I store the seed in our cool dry basement. Most seeds have a good shelf life, soybeans not so much , I've found but most others I've gotten good germination up to 3 yrs later.
I used to use a tiller but I would roll the ground after broadcasting cereal rye and winter peas. Then broadcast turnips and let the rain beat them in. Tillers are great for catching moisture but you can very easily plant to deep. Give it a little time, like another week, and if it's looking sparse overseed it with some clover and turnips. Broadcast it a little thick and you'll be fine. And when using a tiller set it shallow like 2" with all the seed you just listed with the exception of winter peas, you just need to scratch the surface to get them to take. Edit; and dont buy mixture blends, you'll plant half if it to shallow and the other half to deep. You could also overseed with cereal rye and get to take without to much effort.
Btw, I made my roller using an old hot water heater tank. Welded a Y yoke with a pin hitch and I just fill the tank up with some water for weight.
Mother nature never seems to create the perfect planting conditions. I feel your pain, i've been there. My recommendation for you is to implement a year-round planting strategy with a focus on moisture retention for your soil. If you don't have moisture in your soil then soil depth for your seed isn't the root of your problem, its moisture. The best way to retain moisture and improve your soils health is with a no-till planting strategy. You can do this without any heavy equipment. If you want to learn more about this planting strategy and how to increase your odds of growing a successful food plot, I wrote a blog on this exact topic. Check it out. https://whitetailpropertydesign.com/step-by-step-no-till-food-plot-rotation-strategy/
Good article, glad to see a clear reason to use buckwheat a super plant for your soil. Two other great no till seeds are cowpeas and hemp. Moisture and any soil contact will give great results. This said a slower than buried seed and a heavier application needed.
