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Thread: Benne questions

  1. #1
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    Default Benne questions

    I want to plant some benne this year to compliment my dove field. How do you actually plant the seeds? It's way too small for my grain drill or planter to handle. The drill is fine for wheat and oats seed spacing but it would put benne way too close. I have a finger seed meter on the planter.

    One guy told me he bought a blank plate for his planter and drilled small divots for the benne seed and spaced it the same as corn...~7" apart on 38" rows. I don't plan to plant a whole lot. Would one of those small had/push planters be the way to go?

    61WPy1RPPQL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

    https://www.amazon.com/Chapin-8701B-...5067133&sr=8-7

    Any other words of wisdom from one of you that has planted it?

  2. #2
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    Could you mix it with a filler like sand or something (in your planter), so it could be regulated better?

  3. #3
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    That's a good idea. Not sure it will work for me though.

    My planter has finger pick-ups. It's very picky about what size seeds it will handle.

    That might work with the drill but the grain drill has 7" spacing between rows. I don't have the little doors/gates working that allow me to shut off some of the drops. I also wonder how random the spacing might be with the seeds mixed in sand. Not sure I'd want to run sand though that antique drill either. I'll have to think about that. Maybe some other medium like fine saw dust or something.

    Do deer bother benne plants much? Any particular bug issues?

  4. #4
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    I have a 71 flex planter (plate type), and use a small sorghum plate and a large filler ring, if I remember right. Had to slow down the gearing, but it did well on 36" rows. I had a blight or screwed up with chemicals or something year before last. WEnt from the best crop of Benne to nada in a bout 2 weeks, right as it was starting to make seed pods. I think it is this combo: https://lincolnagproducts.com/product/b-sorg-00-30/

    Prior to that, I would plug off holes in my drill, to space it about 32" on center (I think it is 8" between drops), and run it through the small seed box. Never had problems doing that, either. Set it up just like I would for Millet, except for the hole plugging. Gorilla tape over the chutes was my usual go to.

  5. #5
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    Deer never messed with the Benne. Bugs were never a major problem. Pretty durn drought tolerant, too.

  6. #6
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    Bug, you could block off and run every 5th chute, and have roughly 35" rows with your drill. We have run it through an OLD Van Brunt/JD drill, and an early 80s MF drill with success. At least, it was better than broadcasting it.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slaya View Post
    Bug, you could block off and run every 5th chute, and have roughly 35" rows with your drill. We have run it through an OLD Van Brunt/JD drill, and an early 80s MF drill with success. At least, it was better than broadcasting it.
    You gave me another good idea. I may try to build some partitions so I can segregate the drops and not have to fill the whole seed chamber on my Van Brunt. It's not really precise with very small seeds but maybe between the partitions and some sort of filler medium, I can get it to meter it well enough. I will probably also go ahead and buy the walk behind pictured above and see which works best.

    Thanks for the replies and great ideas.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bownut View Post
    Could you mix it with a filler like sand or something (in your planter), so it could be regulated better?
    I know a guy who mixed grits into drill to dilute seed for this reason
    “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance” - Thomas Jefferson

  9. #9
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    Before I had a drill with a small seed box, I had good results broadcasting it with a hand held spreader. I let rain cover it.


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  10. #10
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    It's hard to cultivate broadcast crops. I want rows because there isn't much choice on herbicides.

  11. #11
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    Good luck getting it I couldn’t get any last year.
    RIP Kelsey "Bigdawg" Cromer
    12-26-98 12-1-13

    If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

    Missing you my great friend.


  12. #12
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    Make some card board partitions for your drill and duct tape in place. Use every other or every third. Dilute with grits. Have done this many times. Now, I have an old massey 39 planter that we drilled blank plates at 1/8". It works so damn good!
    you aint did a dawg gon thang until ya STAND UP IN IT!- Theodis Ealey


    Quote Originally Posted by Rebel Yell View Post
    The older I get, the more anal retentive I get.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Palmetto Bug View Post
    It's hard to cultivate broadcast crops. I want rows because there isn't much choice on herbicides.
    You can broadcast it and when it comes up run your cultivator through it to make you rows. That would be cheaper than buying a special planter or plates.

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