TOPIC: Scatter Planting vs Seed by Seed Planting for Wild Simulated

Doug,
The fall of 2013 was my first year planting purchased seed. I used 3 different methods.
1 rake and scatter
2 scratch a trench and plant in rows
3 two seeds at a time with a seeder I built
I like #3 best because plant spacing is the best (about 18 inches) and I could plant up against fallen trees and obsticals easily. These plants show less slug and or insect damage.
#2 was my second choice only because I planted the seeds a bit too thick. More slug/insect damage observed on these.
#1 I would use last. I had an issue with damping off and lost most of 2 small plantings. I sowed them to thick. Also slug/insect damage was higher.
TNhunters advice on planting density I agree with completely. I did more damage than good by getting in a hurry and planting too thick.
When I start this fall I'm mainly gonna use #2 with a minimum 6 inch spacing and plant what I have time to two seeds at a time.
I wish you the best and hope maybe this helps you out.
Redbeard

Unless I am planting seeds collected from plants, or on a very steep slope where using tools is not possible, I always use rake and scatter. For the economics of it, i.e. time invested vs. potential returns, it's the only way to go in my opinion. Depends on how you value your time. If I was working manual labor for someone else I would charge them $20-$25 per hour. So every 4 hours I spend planting is a $100 labor investment in the crop. I'd much rather rake and scatter 2 lbs. in 4 hrs than individually seed 1 lb. in 8 (estimated, probably a bit fast with a seeder stick, but never used one.). Another perspective on individucal seeding, at 6500 seeds per lb. you would have to plant over 800 seeds per hour. Thats potentially 800 back bends per hour!