Why do people work ground so early?

[johndeeregreen]

I"m about half way up in the state on MI, and everyone is working their ground all ready. You wouldn"t even think about planting for at least another 2-3 weeks. The fall plowed ground has cracks about 1/2"" wide, so if it rains the water goes right down and it dries up so much quicker than worked ground. I never work anything till the day I"m going to plant.

 

[johndeeregreen]

Crap,I posted this in the wrong forum.

 

[FactoryFarmer]

(quoted from post at 06:18:14 04/14/12) I"m about half way up in the state on MI, and everyone is working their ground all ready. You wouldn"t even think about planting for at least another 2-3 weeks. The fall plowed ground has cracks about 1/2"" wide, so if it rains the water goes right down and it dries up so much quicker than worked ground. I never work anything till the day I"m going to plant.

I can't speak for others but we go out and work our ground down as soon as it gets fit (sometimes are early as the second week in March)

The reason for this is we want a smooth surface to apply liquid N plus pre-emege herbicide.

 

[David G]

Corn is going in the ground in Eastern Iowa. The insurance date is April 11th here.

 

[tim s]

Planting is full bore here in central Ohio, corn and beans...

 

[larryanderson]

Sometimes its called recreational tillage but with fuel at $3.50 and large tractors that consume 20 gallons per hour it is cheaper to go boating.With the herbicides available chemical tillage is common although with all the resistance to Round-Up row crop cultivators are coming back in style.

 

[David G]

We are applying the liquid N again this year. We have had very good luck with it.

 

[johndeeregreen]

Yes I can see for liquid N and the pre-emege herbicide, but 95% of the people here that are working will; work it now using the field cultivator, wait 2 weeks, spread fertilizer, work that in with the field cultivator, then plant.

We just spread the fertilizer right on the plowed ground, work it once, plant right be hide. Going over the field one less time, which means, less fuel, less wear and tear, less ground compaction. Everyone that worked their ground is dried out, and ours that hasn"t been touched, has a lot of moisture.

 

[NY 986]

Working ground is not unusual for the Finger Lakes region going by the calendar date but I have heard talk of a number of people having corn and soybeans in which is surprising. Normally, it is unusual to have much corn or soybeans in before the first of May. There certainly is a risk of freezing weather between now and the first of May and risk even after that date.
I have to start working ground a few weeks ahead of planting because I am restricted by equipment size, quantity, and labor.

 

[johndeereman]

Well I'm a little east of you but same situation here however if the wives tales are correct we will have a killer frost in August so do you gamble for a frost in may or August? Yes I know your more likely to have freeze now than August but the way mother nature has been I wouldn't be surprised to see one on the 4th of July.

 

[H+60]

I worked a small patch here in Ontario a couple of weeks ago to plant some spring grains for feed. No such thing as too early for that if the ground is ready.