Proper Way to Plow a Field

Decide which technique is best for your land. If your land is dry, especially wheat-growing land, you may need the mow-plow technique that basically combines a combine header and a moldboard plow pulled behind a tractor. The process buries harmful weed seed deep enough so it cannot sprout and choke out crops. Chisel plowing is a quick method that can dig deep, but tends to leave weeds and plants on the surface.

Use the correct plow for your land. Tractors with drawbars are good for large plots of land and can produce wide rows on each pass. Moldboard plows uses a triple action; a steel coulter that cuts through the soil, a steel share that breaks up the soil and a moldboard that turns the earth over. Disk plows work in the same way, but till the soil laterally. Chisel plows use more of a stirring action, and disk harrows are primarily for the second plowing.

Choose the right plowing pattern. Using a circuitous pattern means starting from the outside edge and working your way inward in the shape of the field. Circuitous patterns are used primarily with moldboard plows. Headland patterns are formed by making parallel lines back and forth, and is the most efficient way to handle large tracts of land. Gathering patterns begin in the center and work their way out. These are good if you want drainage ditches along the edges of your field, but they require finding an accurate center.