Jab Planter
Jab Planter
Quickly plant lots of corn, beans, sunflowers, etc. Can also side-dress with granular fertilizer.
4.6 / 5.0
63 Ratings
$76.00
Is this hand seeder right for me?
Stand and Plant your garden seeds
Seed and fertilize (side dress) large plots quick and easy! (see the bottom of this page for mechanical details and pictures)
- Time-tested design
- For medium-sized seeds
- Side-dress 3" away from seeds
- Planting depth is adjustable
- Fertilizer amount is adjustable
- Soil must be a little loose
- Best for large areas
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.
Customer Reviews of the Jab Planter
"your product worked great I plant 1/2 an acre in about 2 hours it would have taken us days to plant all of it by hand."
"Your Seed Planter really saved my garden this year. On April 22nd and again on April 25 I had major back surgery, which meant no BLT (bending, lifting or twisting). Since I was unable to bend over to plant bean seeds, cucumber seeds and corn seeds your hand planter really came in handy. It is now mid June and everything is growing well."
"...I bought the hand planter. I haven't used it yet, but the first thing I did was look at it very carefully. The different seed cylinders, (there are six of them), should be terrific for corn, and, as it says on the tin, larger seeds. That they are rotating cylinders and not rotating wheels seems a plus in the direction of simplicity. The instructions are relatively clear and easy to follow, though I think the instructions to use the tab which delivers either one, two or three seeds might be mixed about. But as the instructions recommend, try the planter out on a brick and seed how many seeds come out. The body of the hand planter has, as they say, a side for seeds and a side to deliver fertilizer. The latter in I believe, IIRC, 1/2 tsp., and then greater amounts. The plastic plate at the bottom of the 'plunger', and the plunger itself could be weak. (I don't think it would resist angled stresses.) I haven't yet used it, correct. Though I've made some trial plunges, and the soil into which I tried was quite firm. I'd loosen the soil somewhat first. Delivery time really was five star, as is the tool..."
"Hand planter was too short to convenient use for me."
See more Reviews ▶
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.
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:
The side with the orange gear is the Fertilizer side. (Right image)
This planter is 33" tall, and weighs about 6 pounds empty.
Adjusting the Seed Depth:
| Exposed Holes | Seed Depth |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1.5" |
| 2 | 2" |
| 1 | 2.5" |
| 0 | 3" |
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).
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:
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)
Adjust the amount of Fertilizer:
| Barrel Exposure | Teaspoons per Stroke |
|---|---|
| 0" | 1/10 |
| 0.5" | 1 |
| 1" | 2 |
| 1.5" | 3 |
Why is it called a Jab Planter?
A better name might be "Press Planter" because that is how it is meant to be used. You press it down into loose soil. It is definitely NOT
meant to be forcefully jabbed or stabbed into the earth. That would damage the unit and the mechanisms that make it so efficient. It is
a peaceful way to stand and plant your garden. Press it down into the soil, let the springs lift it back up, take a step forward, set it
onto the soil surface, press it down, repeat, repeat, repeat.
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