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http://www.grit.com/departments/garden-seed-planters-sowing-tools-zm0z12jfznem.aspx Editor-in-Chief Hank Will explains the key to planting seeds in soil successfully is good soil-seed or soil-root contact. In order to develop a sustainable root system, seeds want to be in firm contact with the soil, so that they can be warmed and watered by it. Think of it like a firm embrace as opposed to a crushing handshake. Loose and fluffy soil for seeds that are light and airy will not allow the seeds to take on moisture and germination will fail. Hank's Hints on planting seeds in soil and the root system is featured in episode 17 of Tough GRIT: "You Reap What You Sow." In today's terms, a garden seed planter is a precision machine that places individual seeds at a specific spacing along a row. As the planter moves along the row, it opens the soil to a specific depth, places the seed, covers the seed and provides some means for pressing the soil into contact with the seed. Walk-behind planters generally have a wheel in front that drives the seed-metering mechanism, an often-hollow wedge-like structure called the shoe that opens the soil and helps convey the seed to the soil, a closing device that pulls the soil back over the seed -- chains, discs, etc. -- and a press wheel at the rear that ensures good seed-soil contact, which is needed for efficient germination. Visit the link above for more information. The GRIT Magazine YouTube channel is your top source for videos related to rural living. Check out full episodes and editor tips from our Tough GRIT TV show. Watch televised interviews with Editor-in-Chief Hank Will. Learn how to raise chickens, from egg incubation to predator protection. Get to know our sharp (and fun-loving!) staff. We've been your favorite provider of rural news and tips for more than 125 years, and we hope you enjoy getting to know us even better. Subscribe to our channel today! (http://www.youtube.com/user/GritMagazine) Find us on these other social networks: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GritMagazine) Twitter (https://twitter.com/GritMagazine) Google+ (https://plus.google.com/106505888902373892608/posts) Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/gritmagazine/)