The 10 Best Seed Spreaders
Special Honors
Land Pride For large plots, look to this company for a wide variety of seeding solutions. Starting from simple pull-behind models, and continuing all the way up to heavy-duty units that spread seed and prepare soil simultaneously, there's a good chance they'll have an option that catches your eye. landpride.com
Tailgate Spreaders from Grainger Manual models are ok for small applications, but a better solution for big plots might be to incorporate your pickup truck with your workflow. This company's got more than 50 tailgate options to choose from, with capacities as small as as three cubic feet and as big as 40 cubic feet. grainger.com
Editor's Notes
March 31, 2021:
Most of our selections from last round still looked like great choices, but we noticed that the Solo 421-S wasn’t available at the time of this writing. So, with an interest in creating a bit of space to add a couple new options to our list, we decided to let it go. We also eliminated the crank-powered Earthway Ev-N-Spred, believing that an automatic option would serve our users better than a manual model.
The Ryobi P2402A is an offering from the company’s expansive line of ONE+ power tools, which comprises more than 125 devices. It doesn’t come with a battery or charger, which will be a costly extra if you’re not already invested in the brand’s gear, but is available for a very affordable price if you are. Its hopper capacity tops out at a gallon, which is quite limiting when it comes to big jobs, but for a handheld model like this one, that doesn’t provide a shoulder strap or similar accommodations, you really wouldn’t want it to be much bigger, anyway. It’s a good choice for users dealing with small projects.
For bigger undertakings, we added the Spyker S100-12011, a ride-on machine with a 4.4-horspower motor that can get you moving at speeds in excess of five miles per hour. Sounds good, right? But unfortunately, its price tag is likely to have most homeowners turning around in a hurry. However, with a 120-pound hopper capacity, it’s an investment well worth considering for contractors and users living on acreages, who like to keep up on their landscaping.
That being said, if you are living on an acreage, and you also happen to own a quad, then a more sensible route to go might be investing in an ATV seed spreader.
February 26, 2020:
Despite the recognizable name behind the products, we found both the Scotts Snap System and the Scotts Wizz to lack the kind of durability we'd expect to justify inclusion on our list. We tried to keep a good balance in mind when replacing them, and realized that much of the list as written needed more in straightforward walking spreaders, as it already had good options for ATV and tractor-mounted models and over the shoulder devices like the Solo 421-S.
So, we found the Chapin 82400B, which boasts a 100-pound capacity that's sufficient for large plots of land to a point. Anything heavier and you'd likely want it mounted on something you can drive, as that's a lot of terrain to cover on foot. We also added the Spyker 50 Pound, which is a durable and easy to use option with half the capacity of the Chapin offering, making it a better fit for homes without as much land, or for users who might not have the strength to push around 100 pounds of seed.
Selecting A Superlative Seed Spreader
The placement of the wheels also makes it much easier to go over or to skirt around uneven ground and obstacles in the way.
Seed spreaders are necessary tools for anyone who cares about proper lawn growth, fertilization, and weed suppression. They belong in the arsenal of both the homeowner and professional landscape and lawn care crew alike.
A seed spreader is sometimes also known as a broadcast spreader for indeed these devices broadcast — or widely scatter — seeds, fertilizer, and other materials across a wide swath of land. A seed spreader allows one person to cover dozens of square feet of soil, planted crops, or ground cover (such as basic grass) many times faster and with more even layering than could ever be achieved when working with one's hands alone.
Most people will choose a seed spreader with the standard two-wheeled, push from behind design. These units usually feature a hand operated lever that dispenses seeds, fertilizer, ice melting granules, or a weed surpassing formula when engaged, and can send the material loaded into their hopper out across an area with a pre-determined radius. This radius can be controlled by a dial, allowing you to choose how wide an area of ground you cover.
Wheel construction is another factor to weigh. Many units have smaller plastic wheels that can handle most turf and relatively even ground with relative ease, but that may not be suitable for use in thicker, taller grass or on rough land. Others have capable pneumatic rubber tires.
For certain types of property or landscaping where the navigable pathways are narrow or the ground is rough and uneven, consider a unique type of seed spreader rarely seen but much vaunted by those who use it: the in-line wheeled spreader. Rather than the standard side by side wheel design, these units have a bicycle style of arrangement, usually with a larger wheel placed on the front of the frame and a slightly smaller wheel trailing behind. This arrangement makes for easy passage down thin rows laid out for crops that need fertilizing, for example, or for making your way down a narrow pathway atop which you hope to grow grass or another ground cover. The placement of the wheels also makes it much easier to go over or to skirt around uneven ground and obstacles in the way.
For seed spreading jobs large and small, there are great products available. In the latter category, consider a spreader that can be towed behind an ATV or tractor and that can hold almost 200 pounds of material, covering large properties without the need for refilling. And on the other end of the spectrum, look to handheld, hand cranked spreaders that allow for precise coverage of small areas. These are great options for keeping seed out of gardens and or fertilizer away from areas prone to weeds, for example.
How To Help Your Seeds Take Root
One of the most common mistakes people make when seeding a new yard (or over seeding existing turf) is actually laying out too much seed, not too little. If you spread grass seed too densely, it will cause the new seedlings to fight against one another for precious resources like water, sunlight, and air, and it can even prevent many seeds from making contact with the ground, thus precluding the chance for sprouting roots.
The first step is clearing debris and dead organic material from the land to be seeded.
Though this exact ratio will be hard to match perfectly, accepted rule of thumb is to lay about fifteen grass seeds per square inch of prepared soil. And indeed preparing the soil is a necessary step for proper seeding. The first step is clearing debris and dead organic material from the land to be seeded.
Next you must loosen and turn the top layer of the ground. You should use a rototiller for larger sections of land and a heavy duty metal rake for smaller areas, as you will agitate the earth down to about two to three inches of depth for best results. Try not to leave clumps of earth that are much larger than a shooter marble, for reference.
Once the seeds are down, cover them lightly with just a quarter inch or so of fresh soil or of peat moss to protect the seeds from direct sunlight and to help them retain moisture. Water newly seeded lawns periodically, following the instructions that came with your chosen seeds.
The Best Time(s) To Seed A Yard
Of almost equal importance to how you seed a yard is the choice of when you put down grass seed. Choose to broadcast seed at the wrong time of year or before various types of weather event and you can almost rest assured of wasted time, effort, and money resulting in more mud and mess than grass.
So rather than depending on geography or the calendar alone, instead turn to a more precise measurement tool: the thermometer.
The simplest approach to the "when to plant grass seed" issue is this: put down grass seed either before the summer, or after it. That is to say choose the later spring or early fall, times of the year when your new grass should have time to firmly take root before the scorching summer heat sets in or before the frosty grip of winter takes hold.
But that generalization bears some additional clarity for ideal results. For indeed the seasons don't affect all parts of the country equally. In the northern states (particularly those of the north east), the weather begins to cool precipitously in September. In southern states (and southwestern states in particular), the heat may linger well into October. So rather than depending on geography or the calendar alone, instead turn to a more precise measurement tool: the thermometer.
Most varieties of grass sprout and put down roots when the ambient outdoor temperature lingers between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (Though some grasses best suited for warm climates enjoy a 75 to 90 degree range, it should be noted.)
And while new seeds need regular watering, you should never put them down before predicted heavy rains. If possible, avoid times of the year regularly prone to downpours in you area.