Members of the strip-till community are connecting and sharing ideas with each other in the recently launched Strip-Till Farmer email discussion group. Click HERE to sign up for free and join the conversation!

Here’s our question of the week.

Q: Do You Build Strips in the Fall, Spring or Both? 

A: I prefer to make fall strips. I can apply fertilizer, break up compaction and prepare a great seed bed for the upcoming year. I use a shank machine.

          - Mike Schardt, Carleton, Neb. 

A: I am trying some fall strips this year. Otherwise we've had great luck with strip-tilling in the spring. I want to monitor water movement and see if there is any erosion.

          - Jon Stevens, Rush City, Minn. 

A: Typically in the fall. It's a time management thing. I also run a shank machine. I feel like there is a higher risk for side wall compaction in the spring with a shank setup. It seems like strips built in the fall warm up faster in the spring. There is better water infiltration from rain and melting snow as well. We have had wet springs where we couldn't plant on conventional or no-tilled grounds because it was too wet. The strip-tilled ground was firm to drive on and the strips were dry enough to plant. We were able to plant 6 days earlier than we were on other fields. 

          - Grant Stewart, Charles City, Iowa 

What are your thoughts? Click here to share your answer in the Strip-Till Farmer email discussion group.