Row spacing with two row planter?

[mike35549]

I have a Mahindra 2538 with R4 tires that I want to use a 2 row planter with. My tires are approx 60" outside to outside and 36" inside to inside. The best I can figure the best row spacing with this setup would be 24" to be able to run in my tracks in both directions and have all rows evenly spaced and be able to come back and use the cultivator on it. I found a Covington planter with a cultivator attached to it that I am pretty sure I can adjust down to 24" rows just have to drill a couple holes. Just seems 24" is an odd row spacing. Or I guess I could get a 1 row planter and us 48" row spacing but I didn't really want to go that wide. This would be mainly used for corn and peas. Just looking for advice from some of you that have more experience with this kind of stuff than I do.

 

[oldnslo]

agree that 24" would work IF you can adjust your planter and cultivator to match.

 

[downslope]

Your tire will be running about 6 inches away from the planted row, so that should be OK.

What I used to do when I planted sweet corn on 26 inch rows with a 2 row planter was not run back in the exact same track, but hold it over a little, ie. run just alongside the previous track to achieve a wider wheel row. This will give the corn a little more growing room to compensate for the narrow 24" between rows and make it easier to walk thru when necessary. You will only be cultivating 2 rows at a time, so you will still have an accurate 24" between rows for close work with the cultivator. If you can have an extra shank out at the ends of the cultivator that will take care of weeds in the wider wheel row.

This method worked well for me when I had to have the tractors set narrow for other vegetable crops we were growing.

 

[sixdogs]

Your tire will be running about 6 inches away from the planted row, so that should be OK.

What I used to do when I planted sweet corn on 26 inch rows with a 2 row planter was not run back in the exact same track, but hold it over a little, ie. run just alongside the previous track to achieve a wider wheel row. This will give the corn a little more growing room to compensate for the narrow 24" between rows and make it easier to walk thru when necessary. You will only be cultivating 2 rows at a time, so you will still have an accurate 24" between rows for close work with the cultivator. If you can have an extra shank out at the ends of the cultivator that will take care of weeds in the wider wheel row.

This method worked well for me when I had to have the tractors set narrow for other vegetable crops we were growing.

This is what I do. My corn rows are 30" and that only gives me a couple of inches before the tire on each side. That may not be enough for you. It is for me because I only cultivate once when the plant is small so I can fertilize. After that, I put Preen down to control some weeds and hand spray 2,4-D for other weeds. Grass I hand spray with Roundup. It works. Rows as short as you mention would crowd the plant to some degree.

In the past I have cultivated the ground and let the weeds start. Then I sprayed Roundup with a boom sprayer to kill everything and t hen no-till planted through it a week later. No cultivating after the fact means way fewer weeds. Then you could run narrow rows and not worry about cultivating.


Corrected to "crowd"

 

[downslope]

This is what I do. My corn rows are 30" and that only gives me a couple of inches before the tire on each side. That may not be enough for you. It is for me because I only cultivate once when the plant is small so I can fertilize. After that, I put Preen down to control some weeds and hand spray 2,4-D for other weeds. Grass I hand spray with Roundup. It works. Rows as short as you mention would crown the plant to some degree.

In the past I have cultivated the ground and let the weeds start. Then I sprayed Roundup with a boom sprayer to kill everything and t hen no-till planted through it a week later. No cultivating after the fact means way fewer weeds. Then you could run narrow rows and not worry about cultivating.

There is even Roundup tolerant sweet corn now available, so long as you're not averse to GMO's and can use the 25,000 seed minimum purchase.