How to Prep Your Field or Yard for Spring

The long and cold winter is finally over, which means now is the time to start preparing your land for spring. There’s going to be a lot to do, whether you plan to plant crops in your field or want to spruce up your yard by giving it some TLC! Of course, some of that preparation will change depending on your land, climate, crops, etc. If you’re not quite sure where to start or you would like a refresher, Central Arkansas Mahindra has provided some tips for getting your field or yard ready for spring. If you have further questions or you’re in the market for some quality farm equipment, be sure to visit us at our dealership in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Prep Your Yard

Over the past few months, your snow-clad yard has probably collected some amount of debris. This needs to be cleared away before you run your mower. Otherwise, some of it will undoubtedly get caught in your mower’s undercarriage and cause damage. Additionally, all that debris makes it hard for your land to absorb the nutrient-rich products you'll apply later. If there are some bare patches on your yard, you’ll need to plant new seeds and water them daily until the grass is tall enough to be cut. Add some fertilizers to provide nourishment and promote growth. Don’t mow your yard until this new grass is the same height as the grass around it or until it reaches two inches high.

Prep Your Field

Whether you’re planting a small plot or you’re preparing several acres of fields, you’re going to need to test the soil and prepare it to receive those seeds. Take some samples from a few different parts of the plot and run pH tests on them. There are kits that you can purchase to do the testing yourself at home, or you can send the samples to a local lab. Knowing the pH value of your land will help you make more informed choices on the best ways to improve growth and keep your crops healthy.

You have several options for preparing the soil itself once you’ve completed the test. Cultivators can be extremely helpful to break up soil that froze over during the winter. Remove any weeds by the root so they don’t damage new sprouts. Mow any grass and thoroughly till the plot to turn up fresh soil.

Get Your Equipment Ready

Performing thorough equipment maintenance now could save you from downtime later in the season because of working with machines that have fallen into disrepair. You also don’t want your equipment to break down in the middle of the field when you’re halfway through a task.

Lubricate moving parts on a regular basis and check fluid levels, like oil and coolant, to make sure they’re in good condition and topped off. Charge up batteries, sharpen blades and check hoses, too. You’ll need to keep an eye on your tires since it’s easy to run over something that flattens them when working on the farm. Check the tire pressure and keep them inflated to the recommended level so your machines move smoothly.

Choose Your Crops

Finally, once you’ve completed all these tasks, you’ll be ready to choose your crops for the season. The type of land you’re farming and the particular climate zone you’re in will impact this choice significantly. Check out the costs for each commodity so you know how much you’ll spend and how much you can expect to get for any crops you sell. Do research to determine what will work best for your land, your budget and your climate zone.

This is also the right time to decide on a fertilizer. You’ll need to check the results of the soil tests to make that decision. As you probably know, soil requires a certain amount of nutrients to grow, which includes nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Even soil that’s extremely dense in nutrients on its own will still need some type of fertilizer to continue growing throughout the season. Whether you use a chemical or organic fertilizer, it’s essential that you provide your soil the nutrients it needs to successfully harvest your crops.

We hope you’ve found this guide helpful! For all your farm equipment needs, visit Central Arkansas Mahindra in Little Rock, AR. We have a wide range of farm machines and our friendly staff will be happy to guide you in the selection process. We’re proud to serve our friends from Sherwood, Conway, and Hot Springs.