There’s a right time for everything. Every year, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) receives calls about winter spreading. Long, cold winters that come after a wet fall and/or late harvest tend to make winter spreading more common. However, spreading on frozen or snow covered ground, on saturated soil or before major rain events is not a good practice, even if storages are full. Spreading at the wrong time increases the likelihood of nutrient loss and runoff. Nutrient runoff not only pollutes lakes and rivers, it can also decrease your profits. Lost nutrients have to be replaced from another source, and additional commercial fertilizers cost money. Instead, apply at the best possible time to increase your…
