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You want about 15 lbs of seed placed about 1/4 inch deep in firm packed, but not hard soil that is very moist for a week after planting. How you get there is the hard part. Sand is tough, it dries out too quick to get a good alfalfa stand. Without a grass seeder on that drill, it will be very hard to set it to plant that little bit from the big hopper. You don't want to run the seed into the disk trench, it will get too deep. Do you want a cover crop? Planted with 1-2 bu of oats per acre, it offers protection from washing & weeds, but slows the alfalfa the first year and can make a thin stand the first year. In a dry year it will rob the moisture & kill the alfalfa. You can cut the oats early for hay, and give the alfalfa a chance. However, you could mix the alfalfa in with the oat seed to help plant it. That's how some oldtimers did it, you need to 'know' (guess) how much to mix in, and the small alfalfa seeds will settle out & plant out sooner than all the oats. A broadcast (spinner) seeder might work as well for you, & drag it with a harrow. On sand, try to hit the rains, and get the lime & fert right. Level the grounds well before you plant, any bumps left will be there a long time. And the alfalfa like a very firm seedbed. If you fail the first time, remember that those of us who planted for years have failures too with this crop - a lot depends on the weather. Try again. --->Paul
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