Autumn tillage decisions echo into the next season. Four habits keep the work effective while the window is open.
Read the residue before setting the discs
Heavy stubble asks for a steeper gang angle and a slower first pass; light residue rewards a shallow setting that saves fuel and moisture. Walk the field before hitching up, and set the harrow to the field in front of you, not to last year’s habit.
Work when the soil says yes
Tilling wet soil buys smearing and compaction that a whole winter may not repair. The classic ribbon test — a handful of soil rolled between the palms — still answers the question faster than any forecast. If it ribbons, wait.
Leave the surface the winter needs
A moderately rough autumn surface catches snow, slows runoff and weathers into spring tilth on its own. Fields left table-flat in autumn tend to cap over winter and ask for an extra spring pass — rough is a feature, not unfinished work.
Grease before the shed, not after
The cheapest maintenance hour of the year is the one right after the last autumn pass: bearings greased warm, discs inspected while the wear pattern is fresh, and a parts list written while the machine is still telling you what it needs. Spring will be too busy for archaeology.
