I.R.V.M.-Planting Equipment

For pictures of seeding and equipment click here!

Planting these construction/bare soil sites is a trick unto itself. Each site is different and has it’s own needs. In order to seed these sites properly, specialized equipment becomes necessary.

Our first piece of equipment was obtained through a Living Roadway Trust Fund grant. It was a Truax drill that will seed fluffy and small seeds. It is specially designed to not clog up and is a great implement for the flat to moderately steep seeding jobs as it allows you to seed your cover crop and permanent crop at the same time.

Our second seeding implement is a machine called a hydroseeder. It was built in 1990 and purchased used from Des Moines County in the fall of 2000. It takes a mixture of seed, water and paper mulch and a compound called a tackifier and mixes them together. This slurry is then sprayed upon the soil surface to be seeded. It creates an erosion mat and allows the seeding job to be successful by keeping it where it was intended to be.

This is a useful tool because we can spray this slurry on any slope that needs seeded. We can literally stick this to vertical slopes as well as overhang situations that we encounter in roadside seeding installations. We use this where we can not safely use a drill.

Our third piece of equipment is a straw blower from TGMI industries. We use this machine and grass hay or straw to mulch our drilled planting jobs. This again reduces erosion, provides a better condition for germination and allows the job to build vegetation successfully.

Our seeding jobs get more and more professional and more successful every year. Keeping in tune with changing technology and new practices and materials is also essential towards increasing production. We strive for quick, efficient and successful seeding jobs. With proper equipment, this is easier to accomplish.

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