How to choose or make your own manual garlic seeder
When planting crops in large areas, special accessories are required. A nozzle for a walk-behind tractor or a manual planter for garlic will help you quickly and efficiently sow crops in large areas or in the field.
You can choose a suitable model in the store, but a do-it-yourself garlic seeder will be no less functional.
Appearance and principle of operation of the device
The manual garlic planter is designed to make planting easier, save time and improve quality by distributing the cloves evenly over the area.
The basis of the equipment is a metal frame with long handles, on which a sprocket, chain, gearbox and container for seeding are attached. The planter is equipped with iron discs that distribute seeds evenly along the entire length of the furrow, and hinged vanes that cover the tines with soil.
In the process of moving from the wheel, on which the sprocket is fixed, a chain is fed through the gearbox to the mechanism for removing the cloves of garlic from the container. A furrow 15–20 cm deep is prepared by the coulter. And through the pipe the tine falls to the ground. Some models are equipped with water tanks, from which watering is carried out simultaneously with planting.
The technique can have 1 or 2 wheels. In addition, 1 or more landing structures.
Planting garlic with a garlic planter
The peculiarities of using a planter for garlic depend on the method of feeding, the presence of a calibration mechanism, the number of devices for simultaneous sowing.
Before planting, the manual seeder is set to the desired furrow depth setting. Then the distances between them are chosen. Slices are poured into the container. If there is a tank, it is filled with plain water or with the addition of fertilizer.
From the very edge of the site, slightly pressing on the handles, they begin to push the apparatus at low speed to the very end. During the process, seed availability and seeder functionality are monitored.
The main types of planters
The garlic planter device can be manual or made in the form of attachments for a tractor or walk-behind tractor.
The manual ones cost less and require no fuel, but the process will require more effort to push the opener into the ground and propel it forward. The soil must be soft and loose for the unit to work.
The nozzles for the walk-behind tractor are distinguished by their high weight and devices for planting several rows at the same time. They cling to the rear of the machine through special mounts and adapters.With different power capabilities of tractors, seeders are used that differ in weight and number of rows.
Four-row planters are capable of planting garlic cloves accurately and quickly over large areas. They are equipped with a seed calibration device and can efficiently perform the assigned tasks on any soil.
Each of the machines is good enough, the best models are chosen solely from the individual preferences of the farmer.
How to choose a planter for your site?
When choosing a manual seeder or attachments for a tractor, several factors must be considered:
- the ability to make furrows of the required depth;
- number of rows;
- seed feeding mechanism and their size.
Operating principle
Small plots of land can be processed manually. For sowing in fields on an industrial scale, you will need a nozzle for a walk-behind tractor.
The principle of operation of all seeders is the same. First, a furrow is made, a clove of garlic is placed in it and sprinkled with earth. If simultaneous watering is required with planting, the model must have a special container for water or fertilizer solution.
Seeding type
Sowing may differ in furrow depth and furrow spacing. If you need to sow garlic seeds, a planting depth of 60-80 mm is recommended, and the cloves should be deepened to 15-20 cm.
An important factor for ensuring a uniform planting is the mechanism for feeding and collecting the seed. If the conveyor is equipped with medium to large bowls, the seeding of the bulbs will be done several at a time. And small feeder cells are not suitable for garlic cloves. There will be gaps while capturing. Therefore, it is better to pay attention to models in which the seed is fed directly from the container by opening the blade through the gearbox axis.
Performance and number of rows
The larger the plot, the more rows the unit must sow at the same time, which also implies a bowl for seeds of the largest volume.
On the scale of the garden, it is better to use a manual single-row model, a seeder for a bulb of garlic the field must have at least 4 seeding devices. Interesting are the attachments in which the containers are removable. This allows you to change the landing row.
The manual seeder can be equipped with a wheel or two. In this case, the second is more effective, since it maintains balance. The attachment can have 2 main carrier wheels and several intermediate wheels.
Weight and dimensions
All planter parts are made of durable and thick metal. The more massive the structure, the more weight and dimensions will be.
The dimensions of manual garlic planters are small. The weight of the units is up to 10 kg, but it will take more time and physical costs to work with them.
The large weight of attachments for tractors is due to the size of the device and the need to press with great force on the ground to make a furrow.
Popular models on the market
Domestic manufacturers have developed a number of seeders that meet the needs of any farmer. It is convenient that there are no problems with finding and purchasing the necessary spare parts at an affordable price. Let's consider the most popular models:
- SMK-3 VPS27 / 1-10 / 4 - three-row manual seeder. This model has the following parameters: distance between rows - 12 cm, the ability to install attachments for other crops, furrow depth - from 1 to 3 cm, weight - 3 kg.
- The single-row seeder ChS-1 is designed for installation on a 6 HP walk-behind tractor. with., it is possible to calibrate seeds (15-25 mm) with a planting step of 11, 12.5, 14 cm, container capacity - 10 liters, furrow depth - 6-8 cm, weight - 20 kg.
- The two-row model ChS-2 is made as an attachment for any 6 hp motoblocks. from. The width between the rows is adjusted within 20-40 cm, the sowing depth is 6-8 cm.There is a sizing device and large seed containers. The weight of the whole structure is 44 kg.
- The four-row ChS-4 is equipped with a capacity of 10 liters, the planting depth is 8-10 cm with a seed ejection distance of 11, 12.5, 14 cm. The row spacing is selected within 20-53 cm. The weight of the entire structure is 73 kg.
- The nozzle for the ProTek TM walk-behind tractor is a collapsible model, so the number of rows planted at the same time can be changed. Seed calibration is carried out within 2-16 mm. The volume of the container is 5 liters. Loosening depth - 1-10 cm. You can change the frequency of opening the chute. Product weight - 60 kg.
How to do it yourself?
It is easiest to buy a suitable planter, but it will require a lot of money. There is nothing cheaper at home, how to make a planter with your own hands, which will be great for use on a personal plot.
If a person is familiar with the device and the principle of operation of seeders, the manufacturing process will not be complicated. The main thing is to find all the necessary components and assemble them.
For manufacturing you will need:
- container for seeds;
- a shaft that connects the feeder to the gearbox;
- brushes or tape with cups for picking up and feeding the teeth;
- the required number of suitable wheels;
- opener for creating furrows and 2 blades for filling them with earth;
- a frame with handles on which all equipment will be fixed.
In order for the planting to be carried out evenly, the container must have a double bottom. A hole is made in it, into which a tape with cups is wound. If the feeding will be done by the falling of the tooth from the tube at the bottom of the container, it is equipped with a movable plate, connected to the shaft.
An asterisk is installed in the front lower part right next to the wheel. A simple bicycle chain is put on it and connected to a gearbox.
In the rear of the frame, the opener is welded or bolted on. Behind, the blades are set at a slight angle to each other at a short distance for falling asleep.
A self-made seeder is in no way inferior in functionality to purchased models. Even in some cases it surpasses them, since it was made for the needs of the farmer.
Reviews from the network
Anatoly, 48 years old, Pskov:
“Before using a homemade planter, you had to plant the garlic and onions by hand, which took a long time. The process itself was tiresome: first make the furrows, then scatter the seeds, fill them up. With the planter, all work is done quickly and efficiently, you just need to apply a little effort. "
Vasily, 53 years old, Samara:
“I made the garlic planter myself. At first I made a lot of mistakes: I placed the seed drop chute high (they jumped out of the furrow), did not calculate the required loosening depth and did not think over the mechanism for filling in. In addition, he simply shifted a small amount of earth with a wheel. Then I looked at several ready-made schemes of other farmers and corrected the shortcomings. Now I enjoy sowing work and a rich harvest. "
Nikolay, 54 years old, Stavropol:
“I made myself a nozzle for a walk-behind tractor with 5 rows. Conveniently. Maintained a distance of 30 cm between the coulters. Instead of containers, I put old plastic six-liter bottles upside down, attached PVC tubes to them and ran a tape with glued halves from balls (I saw in a children's store, and did not understand their direct purpose). I welded the frame from a corner and a pipe, the weight turned out to be large, enough for burying the plow. "
