Ask Big Jon: Common Questions -- Straightforward Answers

 Q: I have some questions about Pure Attraction. First, can I make my plot even better by putting out even more seed than you recommend? Second, the planting instructions say o lightly cover Pure Attraction with loose soil. I thought that Imperial blends were NOT supposed to be covered up. Am I wrong? Should I cultipack or drag my plot after putting out my Pure Attraction seed?


A: Seeding Rate. Great question! It’s one I hear a lot, and the answer is, “probably not — it might even REDUCE the performance of your planting!” Think about it — let’s consider just one square yard of plot. Within that area, you only have one square yard of seedbed to sustain forage plants. That’s all the room the plants you’ll be growing there will have in which to sprout, grow, and become as healthy, vigorous, and as drought, heat and cold-tolerant as they were designed to be. If you try to grow too many plants within that one square yard of seedbed, the plant roots won’t have enough room to grow as big as they otherwise might have. Smaller roots can result in LESS heat and drought tolerance, and because smaller roots can inhibit the growth of the forage plants, perhaps even LESS available forage. For optimum results, stick to the recommended seeding rates as closely as you can. Our forage blends are very efficient


B: Cover Seeding Or Not. First, good job reading the directions! They’re there for a reason. Think about it — we want the process of planting our forage blends to be as simple as possible. That being the case, you can understand that every step that we do put in our instructions is critical. One of the most important steps is the one you noticed — whether or not to cover Imperial seeds when you plant them. All Imperial blends except Pure Attraction and Power Plant are designed to be broadcast spread and not covered up. In contrast, our Pure Attraction blend should be LIGHTLY covered with about ¼ - ½ inch of loose soil. Again, the thin layer of soil that covers your Pure Attraction seed should be left loose. Since a cultipacker would firm the soil, not leave it loose, a weighted drag or a light, spike-tooth type harrow may be a better choice for finishing the Pure Attraction plot after seeding, since a cultipacker would pack the soil that covers the seed. In summary, once your seedbed is prepared, fertilized and otherwise ready for your Pure Attraction seed, smooth the seedbed with a drag, broadcast the Pure Attraction seed, and then lightly drag, or harrow the seed with a light, spike-tooth harrow, just under the surface about ¼ - ½ of an inch deep. Do not cultipack or otherwise firm the soil once you have covered the seed.