Spring Plowing

[deereman10]

Well the snow is finally gone here in Wisconsin and I cant wait to get on the tractor and get started with spring fieldwork. What's the earliest you guys get in the field and start plowin dirt?

 

[beenthere]

When the field is free of frost and has had a chance to dry, including the low spots.



Nothing worse than gettin part way through a mud hole. And working up wet clay will haunt you until next spring.

Wait until after the snowstorm tomorrow too.

 

[bp fick]

All of which I why I fall plow.

100% agree with BeenThere. Make a mess too early, you'll regret it all season.

 

[wolc123]

The best surprise for me since getting a 4wd tractor 6 years ago is that my spring planting gets done an average of one month earlier. To me that is a bigger deal than even the 20% fuel savings the 4wd produced. My flat, bottomland farm has many mudholes that take a good while to dry out in the spring, but the 4wd will plow right thru them with hardly even any wheelspin. It is cool watching the wakes roll off the plow as you pull it thru standing water. Back when all I had were 2wd's, I dreaded spring plowing and always kept my biggest tractor in reserve before complete dry-out, in case I got the second biggest one stuck (happened several times each year). Now I also love it, and I have not been stuck in 6 years.

 

[bakerg]

All of which I why I fall plow.

100% agree with BeenThere. Make a mess too early, you'll regret it all season.

Lived on a farm all my life never ever saw my dad spring plow, he only plowed in the fall. He probably told me the reason 1 time but cannot remember, cannot ask him either as he has passed. Iwish now I would have listen to him more, he was a Jack of alltrades/ master of none.

 

[bp fick]

Well, if your dad was like the men in our farming families, they likely would have said this.

Fall plowing allows the winter's freeze thaw cycle to break down the clay into powder. It's a fact.

Fall plowing means its done. The ground is plowed. This gives you freedom in spring to relax and wait for the ideal time to run the disk or drag over it and plant.

Fall plowing means the ground is furrowed, allowing the spring sun to hit twice the square footage surface of the earth, warming it more quickly than if the ground were flat.

Fall plowing means the spring sun can warm the ground allowing earlier tilling and planting.

Fall plowing means the bottom of the garden furrows will hold and trap leaves and other blowing debris better for natural composting.

 

[farmernate24]

We farm several hundred acres and we plow it all in the spring for a lot of reasons, a couple of which are:
1. It gives our winter cover crop time to grow enough to be beneficial organic material when turned under.
2. If plowed in fall, our up land would wash away and the river bottoms would blow away.

 

[Duffster]

Well the snow is finally gone here in Wisconsin and I cant wait to get on the tractor and get started with spring fieldwork. What's the earliest you guys get in the field and start plowin dirt?

Spring feild work can very from as early as St Pat day to as late as Mothers Day. If it gets to be Mothers day we are running double and triple time.

ps Plow in the fall, chisel plow that is.:thumbsup:

 

[bp fick]

We farm several hundred acres and we plow it all in the spring for a lot of reasons, a couple of which are:
1. It gives our winter cover crop time to grow enough to be beneficial organic material when turned under.
2. If plowed in fall, our up land would wash away and the river bottoms would blow away.

Precisely right for your management system, climate, conditions and so forth.

 

[bp fick]

Oh, and just to emphasis the difference climate and geography makes:

Most of Wisconsin and northern Michigan got a foot of snow today! Not supposed to be much above freezing for daytime highs for the next 6 days. Yup, April 1 is just a week away, but there are certain realities up here that we just live with.

Talk about working the ground will be delayed for some time.

 

[beenthere]

The best surprise for me since getting a 4wd tractor 6 years ago is that my spring planting gets done an average of one month earlier. To me that is a bigger deal than even the 20% fuel savings the 4wd produced. My flat, bottomland farm has many mudholes that take a good while to dry out in the spring, but the 4wd will plow right thru them with hardly even any wheelspin. It is cool watching the wakes roll off the plow as you pull it thru standing water. Back when all I had were 2wd's, I dreaded spring plowing and always kept my biggest tractor in reserve before complete dry-out, in case I got the second biggest one stuck (happened several times each year). Now I also love it, and I have not been stuck in 6 years.

Would help to know where you are located.

 

[Duffster]

Most of Wisconsin and northern Michigan got a foot of snow today!

Everywhere but where I am. Not even a flake here.

 

[DAY]

The OP's original question reminds me of, "How long is a piece of string?"

Are you moldboard or chisel plowing? What are you turning under? What is your soil type? Is erosion a problem?

That said, I detect a touch of "Spring Fever"in the question, and more a desire to swap stories than seek answers!

-reminds me of what we said, back in my army days, when somebody used the F word: "Might as well; can't dance, and too wet to plow!":laughing:

 

[Egon]

Fall cultivation can lead to wind and water erosion in some areas.

Other areas have adopted the No Till approach.

So; the choice may depend on the area you are in and also the type of crops raised.

But pretty consistent is staying off the land till the moisture content is proper for the cultivation type work you are doing.

 

[deereman10]

The OP's original question reminds me of, "How long is a piece of string?"

Are you moldboard or chisel plowing? What are you turning under? What is your soil type? Is erosion a problem?

Moldboard plowing in a sandy type of soil. Not really a threat of erosion.

 

[beenthere]

The OP asked about plowing dirt, not sand.

 

[bp fick]

Moldboard plowing in a sandy type of soil. Not really a threat of erosion.

Since you have sandy soils, as do I, you can work it, likely, as soon as the frost is out of the ground and it has dried for a few days. Ours is sand, and it dries out super fast.

Since there is no threat of clay lumps, go to it as soon as possible, that is, if winter ever decides to actually give way.

 

[pete59]

I live in lower Wi. and turned some horse manure in semi frozen clay 10 days ago,30 deg. overnite. Worked beautiful, looked better than the fall plowing right next to it, will do it again as ag tires picked less sod also.When the sun came it was time to quit.

 

[merrickvilleguy]

snows gone here, but ground is still frozen after a few inches and down to 18 or so ... few more weeks before ill be ploughing the rest of my fields

 

[D7E]

spring ploughing here is suicide on this clay , heavy fall work 4-5 inches with chisel ploughs then just a touch with a light cultivator or super harrow in the spring to warm and level it and dry it out a bit before seeding and incorporate fertilizer.