How to Plant Corn with a Drill

Open the lids of the corn hoppers and fill the hoppers with corn seed.

Set the seed metering unit to the proper pounds-per-acre setting. It usually takes 2-1/2 to 3-1/2, 50- pound bags to sew one acre at properly-spaced intervals of 6 to 8 inches. If the seeds are planted too close together, then the corn plants will over-compete with one another, resulting in lower crop yields.

Set the planting depth gauge to 1 to 1 1/2 inches. If you plant too deep, the corn won't grow; if you plant too shallow the corn may float when irrigated, blow away or get eaten by pests.

Hook the drill to the farm tractor by coupling the pull-bar of the tractor with the draw-bar of the drill using a steel pin. When the hole in the tractor's hitch and the hole in the drill's hitch are aligned, slide a steel hitch pin down through the holes to lock the two together. Slip a hair pin through the small hole at the bottom of the hitch pin to keep it from slipping out of the hitch holes.

Couple the hydraulic hoses of the drill into the hydraulic valves on the tractor. These hoses allow the drive to lift the drill up and down at the end of the field. When the drill is lifted, it stops planting; when the drill is lowered, it starts planting again.

Get in the tractor and lift the seed drill using the appropriate lever.

Drive the tractor, drill all the way to the left side of the field being planted and lower the discs of the drill into the soil. Drive around the entire perimeter of the field until you reach the beginning point. Cross over the previously planted area and look back at the drill so the left outside wheel (if you're looking at the tractor from the rear) overlaps the previous path where seed was sewn. Use the wheel as a guide to avoid overlapping previously planted soil. Make four more circles around the field in this manner.

Drive to the area where you would begin planting the fifth pass around the field and plant all the way to the other end of the field. Instead of turning to continue the circle drive straight over the previously planted soil and lift the drill just after the drill has crossed into the planted soil. Turn to the right and travel three or four drill widths and then turn back toward the unplanted area of the field. Avoid turning the wheel too sharp or you'll unearth some of the previously planted seeds.

Lower the drill a few inches before the line where the last seeds were planted and the unplanted soil begins. Continue this method of planting in ovals up and down the field until the hole field has been drilled or planted with seed.