Give your land some love this February
And SOW it begins. With the days getting longer and Valentine’s Day right around the corner, now is the perfect time to show your land some much-needed love after the cold winter.
Although spring might seem a while away (especially when the ground is still wet and frozen), it won’t be long before you can start prepping your soil and land for the sowing season. Whether you’re looking after a farm, smallholding, golf club grounds or school playing fields – make sure you’ve got all the tools and machinery you need ready, so you can get to work and begin reaping the benefits as soon as the conditions allow.
Here’s what you need to keep your land looking (and functioning at) its best…
Field rollers
As soon as the weather warms up and the ground is dry enough, it’s time for the field roller to come out. Able to attach to tractors with a simple pin hitch, rollers can be used not only to break up the winter lumps and clods – but also to ensure any tufts of grass are pressed back into the soil, stopping them from drying out before they get a chance to take root again. Meaning you’ll be able to achieve an even soil structure and level seedbed perfect for spring sowing!
Harrows and tillers
A harrow attached to a compact tractor is essential for aerating and conditioning the soil. The steel blades of power harrows aggressively churn the soil while a roller then gently levels off the aerated soil, offering the perfect solution for seedbed preparation. If you want to apply fertiliser, a drag harrow is also useful for working it into the ground before seeding.
An effective way to rip the old thatch out of turf and stimulate new growth, harrowing is also beneficial for compact areas that have been waterlogged or seen heavy traffic in the winter months, as the spiking can help break up the soil. For best results, just make sure to go deep to 250 or even 300mm. Equally, a rotovator tiller is ideal for cultivating compacted soil and can be used for tilling and levelling ground to create a workable area for planting.
Stone buriers
Removing stones from your land is truly backbreaking and time-consuming work, but you can’t begin sowing until you get rid of them. Luckily, you can bury them easily using a stone burier which attaches to a compact tractor and rotovates the soil, burying heavy stones and debris under the lighter-tilled top layer of soil. This helps to level the ground, creating a smooth new seedbed ready for sowing.
Mowers
Although your grass won’t have grown much over the colder winter months, it won’t be long before it starts to shoot up. Depending on the weather conditions, you’ll want to start mowing from March onwards in order to promote healthy grass growth and remove weeds before they flower and seed.
So, now’s the time to get your mower out and make sure it’s in a good condition and that it will see you through the season ahead. And if it’s not in such great shape, then an all-round flail mower is a great addition to your machinery for regular mowing.
For further advice on choosing the right equipment for the spring sowing season, and how to show your land a bit of love, please contact our team on 01420 520510 or email sales@farmtechsupplies.co.uk.
