The invention provides a row planting unit for a planter having a seed tube with an outlet arranged to drop seed between a pair of opener discs. Adjacent planting units (on the planter) each have vacuum operated seed metering units each including a seed disk. The operation of disks is synchronized but the seed openings offset from each other for alternate seed placement in adjacent rows. The outlet of each seed tube is located between the discs and, more specifically, arranged to drop seed in close proximity to a drop location where the bottom edges of the disks are in contact. The invention extends to a method of planting seed in a close staggered planting configuration, with seeds in adjacent rows dropped alternately and the row planting units located on the planter with closer spacing than what is used when seeds are planted substantially in line by adjacent row units.
