Tips for Planting and Equipment Preparation

Spring is an exciting time for farmers everywhere who are readying themselves and their equipment for planting their crops. A successful harvest begins with the right preparation, so it’s important to take a little time to make sure your farm equipment is in good working order and your land is ready for planting seeds. Your premier Mahindra® dealer, Holzhauer Pro Motorsports, has provided this handy guide to get you started with planting and equipment preparation. If you need additional help, stop by our dealership in Nashville, Illinois, and chat with our experienced staff to get all your questions answered.

Check Your Equipment

Your tools and machines have probably spent the last few months unused in storage. You’ll want to inspect all of your equipment and take stock of what needs to be serviced or repaired. One essential step that many people miss is consulting their owner’s manuals. These manuals are your best resource for getting your equipment prepared as they have all the information you need to ensure proper maintenance.

You may need to start by giving your farm equipment a thorough cleaning. A machine simply can’t work as well when it’s bogged down with layers of mud, dirt, grass, and debris. Plus, grime can cause damage if left sitting on your implements for too long. Once your machines are clean, inspect them for any issues. Test everything from the brakes to the lights. Check the various parts, like the battery and tires. Remember that even small problems left unaddressed can manifest into larger problems that will cost more to fix, so it's best to fix any issues early on.

Take the time to sharpen the blades. Reconnect the hoses on your planting implements, connect grounding wires on electronic consoles, and check for any pests that might have made a home in the vacuum units on your planters.

Field Prep

Now it’s time to make sure that your soil is healthy enough to nourish your plants. Use a pH test on some soil samples, either via an at-home kit or by sending samples to a local laboratory. The results of these tests will indicate the current health of your soil and let you know what fertilizers may need to be added to it to sufficiently feed your crops.

Next, you should use a cultivator to remove weeds, turn over your soil and break up that hard-packed ground that’s been stuck under a layer of snow for months. You should also take the time to mow and till your area before planting any seeds. This softens the field enough to help make it easier to plant seeds, as well as give you fresh soil to work with and eliminate residue.

Pick Your Crops

Once your soil and equipment are ready for planting, you are ready to choose your crops. Spend some time looking into various factors, such as what will grow best in your soil and the costs of planting. You will also want to pick the right fertilizer to provide the necessary nutrients to your crops. This will help promote soil health and help your crops grow better, leading to a bountiful harvest.

Planting the Seeds

To ensure higher yields without wasting seed, it’s important to space out your seeds correctly. You can save time by using a seed meter to establish the seeding rate per acre. If your seeds are not spaced evenly, there might be a problem with the seed delivery. This is why you must test and calibrate seed meters by using samples of every seed size and grade you’re going to plant. Make sure you are planting each type of seed at the appropriate depth so that they’re less vulnerable to air temperature changes and are able to obtain adequate moisture from the soil.

Also, don’t plant when the ground is wet and muddy, as this can clog up your machines and delay the emergence of seedlings. You want your seeds to emerge at a consistent rate to get the maximum yield possible, especially if you’re planting later in the season.

We hope you found this guide useful! If you want more tips on planting and equipment preparation, or would like to explore some high-quality machines for sale, head over to Holzhauer Pro Motorsports. We are your local Mahindra dealer in Nashville, IL, and our expert staff can help you with whatever you need, from answering your questions to helping you find the best farm equipment for your needs. We welcome all those coming from St. Louis, MO, and Carbondale, IL.