How early is too early?

Dave from MN · Mar 12, 2010

for spring tillage. With the recent warm weather and rains here, the snow is about gone, and the frost is really coming out in areas of the feilds. I am wondering if maybe I should start prepping for manure spreading and chisel plowing. I pretty much have to chisel to incorperate the cattle manure, disk wont do it well enough. Chicken manure isnt an issue, I spread it on low residue ground and disk it in asap. What do you guys think,... if ya can go? Does spring chiseling have any adverse effects? I would think much more spring rain would be absorbed rather than running off during hard rains.

wijim · Mar 12, 2010

You sound like my ten year old son,come on dad lets hook up and go!

IaGary · Mar 12, 2010

No reason to wait once the ground conditions are right.

Never to early for what you want to do.

Gary

Nebraska Cowman · Mar 12, 2010

I have done fieldwork in February.... But not this year.

rrlund · Mar 12, 2010

Sit on your hands and read a few more posts Dave. It's too early. I remember picking stones on St Patties day one year,but if you get out there too soon,you're just gonna cause compaction that you'll be paying for all year. WAY too soon to be planting anything yet anyway,so why cause yourself problems needlessly? If you feel the great need to be working outside,go paint something. If nothing else,it'll bring back bad weatehr and remind you why it's too early to be in the field in Minnesota.

RN · Mar 12, 2010

You"re a little further north than central Iowa where home farm is, you want to prep? OK, change the oil in tractor, grease spreader bearings and chains, slingers, grease chisel or disc bearings. Take a walk to the highest ground you plan to spread on and probe ground with a pitchfork. Walk down to low ground and probe some more, lift up crumbly dirt or mud ball? Is there frost in ground 4-6 inchs down? Are you slipping and sliding in rubber boots? If you have some hilltops and slopes that have snow melted, drained and dried- you may be able to spread and work in manure safely. But lower ground will -my guess- be a potential tractor trap until after tax time. Wait "till wild ducks have hatched if in doubt about low ground, some times the ducks can paddle across low ground in May- At least they could a few years on home farm in peat ground area. . RN

Fordfarmer · Mar 12, 2010

That's the only month I've never done fieldwork in!

although fieldwork in Dec., Jan., and March is rare here.

How early is too early?

Dave from MN

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wijim

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IaGary

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Nebraska Cowman

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rrlund

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RN

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Fordfarmer

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