Jab Planter

Just push the spring-loaded tips into the loose soil. Seeds and fertilizer are deposited automatically each time.

Millions of these hand planters are used on small farms in Asia. The hoppers hold enough to plant a field of sweet corn, or any other crop with medium-sized seeds. It's really fast!

Set-up instructions and mechanical detail photos of this hand seed planter are below the Review section. Be sure to read them before purchasing. We are the only place you can buy a jab planter online like this in the US.

This tool does certain seeding tasks very well, but it is NOT meant for small seeds or small areas. Also it takes a little mechanical ability to get everything adjusted. Please look through the Instructions below.

This hand seed planter works by simply pressing it into the soil. It will automatically drop the number of seeds you selected (1 or 2) at the depth you selected (1.5" to 3" deep). You can also side-dress or deposit granular fertilizer (.10 to 3 teaspoon) down into the soil 3" away from of your seeds.

This hand seeder is designed for quick planting of many rows of larger seeds (corn, beans, peas, sunflower). It is NOT designed for any small seeds. It does take a little while to get it fine-tuned, so it is best used for doing many long rows of the same crop at one a time (not for small gardens). This seeder has been used across Asia for many years on small farms. The company that makes them is in China and they have produced over 2 million of these planters!

Our automatic seeder has two halves: the seed dispensing half, and the fertilizer dispensing half. Both feature a metal "beak" or tip that is pressed into the soil and then opens as the beaks are retracted to deposit the seed or fertilizer under the soil. The unit is spring-loaded - so you push it down into the soil, but the springs lift it back up and out of the soil.

There is a rotating drum in each half that makes a partial turn with each stroke to meter out seeds and fertilizer. If you do not want to apply fertilizer, simply do not put any in the hopper. Side-dressing crops like sweet corn can greatly improve your success while minimizing your fertilizer usage.

Probably the best way to understand how these Automatic Jab Planters work is to look at the Instructions for setting it up. So we have included them below. You can also download a copy of the Instructions to print out.

Getting to know your Seeder:

Changing the Seed Roller:

Locate the small latch on the clear cover (Image 1). Squeeze to release the latch, then turn CCW until the tabs on the cover are free (Image 2).

Remove the white Top gear, steel washer, and black seed roller (Image 3). *Note that the Top gear and the Bottom gear are NOT interchangeable. Keep track of which is which.

Move the Bottom gear to the new seed roller. Then replace that assembly back into the Planter (Image 4).

To finish, re-install the Top gear, steel washer, and clear cover by just following the above instructions in reverse. Be sure that the clear cover re-latches smoothly.

Selecting a Seed Roller:

It is very important to choose a seed roller that your seeds fit into properly. This planter comes with multiple seed rollers which have different indentation or pocket sizes, so it can handle a wide variety of medium seeds. It is NOT intended for very small seeds (like carrot or spinach) or for very large seeds (like Lima Beans).

Spread out a handful of your seed, and choose a few of the larger ones. Next find a seed roller that allows a single seed to fit into the indentation or pocket. It is OK for a small portion of the seed to be outside of the pocket.

Install the seed roller according to the instructions. Then put a few handfuls of seed into the hopper and test the unit. Test it by setting a brick into an old cookie sheet, then put the planter foot onto the brick and pump the planter a few times to get the seed roller working. Empty the cookie sheet and pump the seeder 10 times to see if it deposits approximately 10 seeds. If many less are deposited, select a larger seed roller. It is better to plant a few too many seeds than to not plant enough.

Adjust the Number of Seeds:

Push the Gate out from the back of the planter to release it (Image 6). Then pull it straight out of it's slot (Image 7). Put the Gate back in either the left or right slot to deposit the proper number of seeds.

For 1 seed - the gate goes closest to the center of the planter (furthest from the clear cover)

For 2 seeds - the gate goes towards the outside of the planter (closest to the clear cover)

For 3 seeds - the gate stays out of the planter (store it somewhere safe so it is not lost)

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