How to Prepare Land for Planting

Farming can be a highly profitable business if the right crops are chosen, but it can be difficult at first if you're lacking experience. Before you can start harvesting, it's crucial to prepare the land well to nourish your crops. Soil preparation is a time-consuming task, but it isn't difficult if you know a few simple tips.

Prepare the land a year before you plan to plant. You'll need time to work the soil, especially if it hasn't been tilled before. If you've never planted on the land you intend to cultivate, clear the weeds a year before sowing – this step will help reduce pests.

• If the soil pH is not ideal, it may take 2-3 months to adjust it.
• Some farmers prepare the land only 15 days before planting. However, this time frame can vary depending on the situation!

Obtain a soil testing kit from the local authorities. Home soil testing kits can provide you with a general idea of the soil's condition, but they are not as detailed. If this is your first time preparing the soil, it's recommended to send a sample to a laboratory, such as one at a local university. You can visit an agricultural extension office to get a soil sample container and other necessary supplies.

• If your area lacks an agricultural extension office or a university lab, you can search online for nearby soil testing labs.

Collect soil samples using a stainless steel core sampler. Dig several holes about 15-20 cm deep in 6-8 different spots around the land. Use the core sampler to gather the samples and mix them in a container. Fill the container to the required level so that the laboratory has enough soil for testing.

• If a core sampler is unavailable, a shovel can be used to collect the soil samples.

Send the soil samples to the laboratory. Seal the sample box and label it with your name, address, and a randomly generated five-digit number next to the box for identification by the laboratory. Deliver the box to the laboratory and wait a few days or weeks to receive the results.

Apply lime or wood ash to the soil to increase the pH level. Spread granulated or pellet lime using a fertilizer spreader and mix it into the moist surface layer of the soil. Apply lime 2-3 months before planting to give the soil enough time to balance. Check the soil test results to determine the exact amount of lime needed.

• If you use very fine lime, it will absorb into the soil more quickly.

Lower the soil pH using aluminum sulfate. Spread aluminum sulfate on the soil surface and mix it into the soil. The required amount of aluminum sulfate depends on the target pH level you want to achieve. For example, to reach a pH of 6.5, you would need to apply 0.8 kg of aluminum sulfate per 0.9 square meters of soil.

• The exact amount of aluminum sulfate depends on the desired pH level. You can find the exact pH chart here: https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/changing-the-ph-of-your-soil.

Loosen the soil by digging 20-30 cm of the moist surface layer. Use a garden spade to turn over the surface soil at least 20-30 cm deep to encourage deeper root growth for plants. Turn over each clump of soil as you go and continue. You can also use less strenuous tools, such as a tiller, but the most important part is to till and aerate the soil before planting your crops.

Create raised beds in the soil. If using a manual digging tool, shovel or rake the loosened soil into raised beds about 20-25 cm high and 15-20 cm wide. Leave about 90 cm between each raised bed. You will plant crops on these raised beds, and water will drain into the ditches between the beds.

• Try to make the raised beds as straight as possible, especially on large plots of land.

Choose a balanced fertilizer to feed your plants. Opt for a 10-10-10 or 4-3-3 fertilizer to provide essential nutrients and maintain balance for your plants throughout the growing season. Avoid applying all the fertilizer at once – instead, apply half of the amount to a depth of 5-10 cm in the soil before planting. The remaining half can be applied mid-season.

Use nitrogen-rich fertilizer if you plan to apply herbicides. Select a 46-0-0 fertilizer and spread it over the soil about one month before applying herbicides. While this step is not mandatory, it will make it easier to control weeds effectively.

Choose an irrigation system suited to your soil's needs. If your land is relatively small, you may want to use a sprinkler system. Many gardeners opt for drip irrigation, flood irrigation, or furrow irrigation.

• Flood and furrow irrigation surround your plot with water channels.
• Subsurface irrigation uses pipes buried underground.
• Drip irrigation is typically installed either just above or below the surface of the soil.

Đo nhiệt độ trong đất để đảm bảo đất có nhiệt độ phù hợp. Mỗi loại cây trồng sinh trưởng tốt trên đất có nhiệt độ khác nhau – trước khi bắt đầu trồng cây, bạn hãy kiểm tra nhiệt độ của đất bằng nhiệt kế đo đất. Một số loại cây trồng như đậu Hà Lan, hành và rau diếp cần nhiệt độ trong đất khoảng 2 đến 4 độ C. Các loại cây trồng khác như ngô cần có nhiệt độ đất khoảng 10 độ C.

• Bạn có thể tải lịch thời vụ gieo trồng ở đây: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar.

Dùng máy gieo hạt tiêu chuẩn để gieo hạt giống. Điều chỉnh máy để gieo hạt xuống đất sâu khoảng 5 cm. Chạy máy khắp cánh đồng để gieo hạt – cứ sau mỗi vài tiếng, bạn hãy ra khỏi máy và kiểm tra để xem máy gieo hạt có vận hành trơn tru không và cánh đồng đã được gieo hạt đúng ý muốn chưa.

• Cài đặt máy gieo hạt tùy vào loại hạt mà bạn đang gieo. Ví dụ, nếu trồng ngô, bạn nên gieo khoảng 33.000 to 38.000 hạt cho mỗi hecta. Hãy hỏi nhà bán hạt giống để xin lời khuyên về các loại cây trồng cụ thể.

Về kỹ thuật thì không cần, nhưng các thiết bị sẽ giúp bạn tiết kiệm nhiều thời gian. Bạn có thể dùng thuổng làm vườn để xới đất. Nếu đất rộng hơn 0,5 hecta, bạn sẽ cần dùng thiết bị có máy kéo để cày xới đất. Nếu đất có nhiều sỏi đá, bạn có thể dùng xe goòng, xe trượt để vận chuyển sỏi đá, hoặc dùng gầu máy xúc để loại bỏ các tảng đá. Để rải vôi, phân bón và phân chuồng, bạn có thể dùng máy rải phân bón có đầu hình nón được gắn vào máy kéo.

• Các thiết bị như máy cày ván khuôn và máy cày đục thường được dùng để xới đất.

Seek government assistance if you cannot afford to rent large equipment. In some countries, the government may offer financial support to farmers needing to rent large-scale equipment. Try reaching out to local agricultural branches to see if any options are available to you.

• For example, if you're in the U.S., you can visit this website to find funding opportunities: https://www.farmers.gov/fund.

• You should gather some information about your land before starting soil preparation. Try to find out if the land has ever been flooded or what crops were previously grown there – this will be helpful when planning your cultivation.
• Paddy fields are treated differently than regular soil. For this type of land, you will need to remove weeds with glyphosate and leave the field flooded with water. Rice grows best in wet conditions.