Seed Pelleting & Filler, Binder & Pellet Weight
Pellets carrot
Tiny carrot, onion, lettuce and tobacco seed are pelleted with filler and binder into uniform round pellets that singulate in precision planters — enter your seed weight to get the recipe.
Set up your pelleting batch
Next: weigh out 30 kg filler and mist in 1.5 kg binder solution as the pan rolls, building the coat gradually; dry to free-flowing before bagging the 41.5 kg.
Filler (e.g. clay, calcium carbonate) and binder type/rate depend on seed size and shape; over-binding cakes the pellets, under-binding sheds the coat.
Seed pelleting — key facts
- Pelleted weight
- seed + filler + binder
- Filler
- clay, talc, calcium carbonate
- Binder
- small dose of water-soluble gum
- Best for
- carrot, onion, lettuce, tobacco
- Why pellet
- uniform shape singulates cleanly
- Planter
- one seed per cell, even spacing
- vs encrusting
- pelleting adds more filler
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Turn dust-fine seed into a planter-ready pellet
Carrot, onion, lettuce and tobacco seed are too small and irregular for a precision planter to handle one at a time — they slip, double and skip, wrecking the stand. Pelleting fixes that by building each seed up with an inert filler held on by a binder, producing uniform, round, free-flowing pellets that singulate cleanly so every cell drops exactly one seed at the right spacing.
This tool gives the filler, binder, finished pelleted-seed weight and the seed weight from your batch and ratios, so you can mix a consistent recipe and order the right amount of coating material. Pair it with the Seed Rate, Vegetable Nursery Tray and Microgreens Seeding tools for a complete sowing plan.
Mix a consistent recipe
Same filler and binder ratio every batch.
Sow precisely
Uniform pellets singulate one per cell.
Cut thinning
Even spacing means far less hand-thinning.
Order the right amount
Know the filler and binder to buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is seed pelleting?+
Seed pelleting coats tiny or irregularly shaped seeds — carrot, onion, lettuce, tobacco — in a filler held together by a binder, building them up into uniform, round, free-flowing pellets. The added size and regular shape let the seed singulate cleanly in precision planters, so each cell drops exactly one seed at the right spacing.
How is the pelleting recipe calculated?+
From your seed weight and the pelleting ratios, the tool gives the filler weight, the binder weight, and the finished pelleted-seed weight (seed plus filler plus binder). For example a small batch of seed coated to several times its weight in filler with a small fraction of binder yields the total pelleted weight you'll actually sow.
What is the filler and what is it made of?+
Filler is the inert bulking material that builds the pellet's size and shape — commonly clays such as kaolin or bentonite, calcium carbonate, talc or diatomaceous earth. It carries the seed up to a sowable size and, ideally, splits open readily when wet so it doesn't restrict germination.
What does the binder do?+
The binder is the adhesive that glues filler to the seed and to itself so the pellet holds together and stays free-flowing — typically a water-soluble gum or polymer applied in small amounts. Too little and the pellet crumbles; too much and it can harden and delay imbibition, so the ratio matters.
Which seeds benefit most from pelleting?+
Small, light, angular or hairy seeds that are hard to sow precisely — carrot, onion, lettuce, tobacco, celery, many flowers — gain the most. Pelleting turns them into uniform spheres a planter can singulate, cutting seed waste and thinning labour. Large, already round seeds rarely need it.
What is the difference between pelleting and encrusting?+
Pelleting builds the seed up into a large, round, opaque pellet that hides the seed's shape, maximising size and flowability. Encrusting (or coating) adds a thinner layer that increases weight and smooths the surface but keeps the seed's general shape. Pelleting uses more filler; encrusting uses less.
Why pellet for precision planters?+
Vacuum and mechanical precision planters pick up one seed per cell by size and shape. Tiny raw seeds slip, double or skip, ruining the stand. Uniform pellets singulate reliably, so you get even spacing, predictable plant population and far less thinning — which is the whole point of precision sowing.
Does pelleting affect germination?+
A well-made pellet should split or soften with moisture and not hinder emergence, but a hard or thick pellet can delay imbibition or block oxygen, especially in dry or crusting soils. Keep the binder modest, ensure good seed-to-soil moisture, and test germination on a sample before sowing the whole batch.
Are the figures precise?+
They're solid planning quantities from your seed weight and ratios. Real coatings vary with the build-up process, filler density, moisture and the pelleting equipment. Treat the result as a recipe starting point, weigh a trial batch, and adjust the ratios to get the pellet size and flow your planter needs.