Seed Spreader Vs. Seed Dropper

Seed Dropper

• A seed-dropper spreader has a container for the seed mounted over a pair of wheels. Gears on the wheels turn an auger inside the container that drops the seeds directly on the ground at the rate set by the control knob on the spreader. Most seed dropper spreaders are small and easy to maneuver in tight spaces, which make them a good choice for small lawns that are less than 5,000 square feet. In addition to allowing precision placement of seed on the lawn, they also enable you to keep grass seed from scattering onto nearby garden or flower plots where you don't want grass to grow.

Seed Spreader

• A seed spreader also goes by the name of broadcast spreader or rotary spreader. Instead of dropping the seeds directly down from the spreader's container, a rotary blade slings the seed from the spreader in a path that varies based on the size of the spreader. This means that the ground nearest where the seed spreader passes gets more seed, while the area farther away gets less seed. It's a trickier machine to master, but you are able to cover ground quickly when you use a seed spreader. It is often a better choice for larger lawns.

Application

• A seed dropper has a specific width and no seeds drop outside that span. To sow grass, or to use the device as a fertilizer spreader, set the device at half the spread rate recommended on the product you are using. Hold the trigger in the "On" position as you walk at a steady pace to apply the seed. Turn the machine around for the next pass. As you drop seed for the next pass, keep the wheel closest to the first pass just inside the tire mark from the previous pass. Any deviation from this pattern may result in noticeable gaps in seeding or fertilization.

  Load the seed spreader with half the amount of grass or fertilizer that you plan to sow. Rotary seeders require that you overlap passes in such a way that the outer edges receive the same amount of grass or fertilizer as the center of the pass. Once you figure this process out for your particular machine, any mistakes are less likely to be visible. To help cover any application mistakes with both kinds of seeder, reload the container with the remainder of the seed or fertilizer. Repeat the application process, but make the passes at right angles to the original ones. By doing this, you can cover up any gaps.

Problems

• Each of the two spreader types has its own problems that you may need to deal with. If the grass it too tall, it may brush against the bottom of a drop spreader and affect the rate of seed application. Drop spreaders are more difficult to push as well. Rotary spreaders require more adjustments for each individual product that you spread in them. You can't switch between seeds and fertilizer use in a rotary spreader as you can with a drop spreader.