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Growers with lots of seeds to sow can benefit from a garden seeder. These wheeled push tools can ease the pain of otherwise back-breaking gardening tasks. They essentially take care of the steps for seed planting, including cutting a row, spacing out and sowing seeds, and covering them with soil. A garden seeder is a worthwhile investment for those with lots of seeds to plant each season.
Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of Altamont, Tennessee-based TN Nursery explains, “Garden seeders can make planting more accessible, which is a big plus, but they can also plant seeds at the right depth uniformly and cut seed waste, overall saving the gardener’s time and boosting germination success.” A high-quality garden seeder will reliably, accurately sow seeds so they have a good start.
Look for a seeder with the adjustable features needed for the intended seed types. The ability to adjust to planting depth and seed size is what sets garden seeders apart from other tools like a fertilizer spreader or three-point seed spreader. Sons told us, “I recommend looking for a seeder that has adjustability for the seed plate so it can handle multiple seed sizes and that has row and depth-spacing control.”
Our top pick, the EarthWay Precision Garden Seeder, includes seven seed plates (to sow 38 types of seed) and is easy enough for even beginner gardeners to use. We think this model will suit most home gardeners, but if not, we’ve also selected a few other of the best garden seeders on the market.
Best Overall
EarthWay Products 10001 Precision Garden Seeder
What We Like
- Easy to assemble and use
- Includes 7 seed plates for common plants
- Includes row marker
- Lightweight and maneuverable
What We Don’t Like
- Doesn’t perform well on clumpy or uneven soil
Specs
- Materials: Aluminum and plastic
- Seed plates: 7
- Row marker: Included, 30 inches
The EarthWay Products 10001 Precision Garden Seeder is a highly-rated, widely available, and reasonably-priced choice. Excellent value and user-friendliness are two reasons we chose it for our best overall pick. The EarthWay 10001 is a basic option that does the job, prioritizing simplicity and ease of use over potentially unnecessary extra features. The furrow plow is adjustable to the desired depth, and it comes with seven seed plates to sow 38 types of seeds More plates are available for purchase separately if the included plate isn’t right for the garden plot. This garden seeder also includes a row marker—a helpful feature that other seeders don’t necessarily include.
Basic but reliable, this tool is useful to both novice and experienced gardeners. It’s made of aluminum and plastic, so it’s rustproof, lightweight, and easy to maneuver, though it might be less durable than some other options and requires well-tilled soil to work well.
Get the EarthWay Garden Seeder at Amazon, The Home Depot, Walmart, or EarthWay.
More Garden Seeders Worth Your Money
The EarthWay Precision Garden Seeder might not be the perfect seed spreader for every job: some plots may need larger capacity or a handheld seed planter, so we’ve compiled some more options worth considering below. These are all from top brands and boast features that might make them better suited for planting needs that the EarthWay can’t tackle.
- Hoss Garden Seeder, available at Amazon, Hoss, or Easy Digging.
- Johnny’s Six-Row Seeder, available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
- Johnny’s One-Row Pinpoint Seeder, available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
- Jang JP-1 Push Seeder, available at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Harris Seeds, or Neversink Tools.
How We Chose the Best Garden Seeders
We researched some of the best garden seeders on the market, starting with ten of the most popular models. We narrowed our selection down to these top picks based on their features, brand reputation, and external reviews. These products all come from highly-regarded brands and boast features that can help sow plenty of plants. If available, we also looked at shopper ratings to see how the seeders performed in real-life conditions.
We conducted our research with home gardeners in mind rather than larger-scale growers. The seeder machine models on this list are fairly straightforward to use, though we have included a precision garden seeder that’s a little more complicated for those who need it.
FAQs
Garden seeders can be a great solution for low-maintenance landscaping, but buying and using one can feel intimidating for new gardeners. With that in mind, here is more information to help you decide if a seeding machine is right for your gardening needs.
If sowing seeds by hand is taking a toll on your body, it might be worth investing in a seed planter for garden use. Our top pick overall costs under $200, so weigh this investment against how often you plant seeds. If you have to plant a lot of seeds or have neighbors who would collectively be interested in sharing a seeder, a seeding machine will likely pay for itself over time; if you plant only a few seeds each year, you may want to stick with hand-planting and seed starting trays.
There are many types of grass seeders and garden seed planters, and each may work differently. In general, however, common garden seeders feature a piece in the front that carves out a furrow at a set depth. A mechanism drops a few or a single seed into the furrow according to the set spacing. Then, the seeder covers the seeds with soil, completing the sowing process in one pass.
Use a walk-behind seeder when you need to sow rows of seeds. How often you use it depends on what you’re planting: If you only plant a single crop, you’ll only need to use it once a growing season. If you plant multiple crops, you might use it more than once. You can also combine your seeder with a good seed starting mix to ensure your plants grow up strong and healthy.
There are a lot of beginner-friendly vegetables and flowers to start in a garden, including tomatoes, zucchini, marigolds, sunflowers, and more. Consider these 16 easiest vegetables to grow or 10 foolproof flowers for inspiration.
