What to Do Now for Healthy Soil

by Sarah Jay, Modern Farmer
February 27, 2026

Your February soil checklist is an important aspect of preparing the farm for the growing season. Taking a few steps ahead of your last frost makes it possible for your fields and beds to yield massive harvests that keep your farm going year after year. 

In a consistently farmed field, the soil can get tired if appropriate actions are ignored. Everything from planting last-minute cover crops to planning your crop rotations should be considered. Take some time to see which beds need a refresh. 

While no-till farming is all the rage, some tilling helps rows where the same plants have grown year after year with little intervention. Compaction leads to topsoil erosion and the proliferation of perennial weeds that can take over. It’s a great time to build new beds as well, and generally plan for the upcoming flush of growth. 

After a vigorous summer and fall season, rows can become compacted when exposed to heat and intense cold. To preserve topsoil, add organic matter, and till lightly. Nutrients get depleted in rows where heavy feeders are grown. There are ways to mitigate the fatigue that results from seasons of good production. 

The term “soil fatigue” or exhaustion refers to the condition that soil profiles take on when they’ve been heavily monocropped and untended. This soil is devoid of the microbial content that offers plants bioavailable food. It lacks the fungal and bacterial organisms that interact with plant nutrients. This fatigue leads to a lack of production, which spirals into higher incidences of pests and diseases, which take hold more easily in stressed plants that grow in tired fields. 

As you’re planning the upcoming season, take some time to refresh your existing beds and rows. For those areas that need time to heal, building new beds to keep up with production quotas is a great idea. And it never hurts to do a soil test ahead of checking off the items on your list. 

Plan Rotations

Crop rotation isn’t just an effective tool for integrated pest management. It’s also important for keeping the soil on your farm healthy. When done properly, crop rotation improves structure and fertility. These feed directly into maintaining tilth, reducing weed growth, and improving yields overall. 

As you’re filling out your February checklist, think about the crops you grew on your farm last year, and swap them out for ones that can remediate any issues those crops cause. Every three to four years, swap out brassicas for root veggies, like carrots and parsnips. Swap out root veggies for leguminous grains, like amaranth, and switch grains with legumes. 

Plant Spring Cover Crops

Another great way to build soil with plants is through planting cover crops. If you’re moving out of the range of your last frost, add planting some cover crop seed to your February checklist. Even if you’re still expecting a frost or two, with some protection, you can grow almost anything. 

For compaction, grow daikon radishes or oilseed radish. To improve microflora, grow spinach. If you need some late-season livestock fodder, choose kale, which keeps the ground covered and protected from weeds and extreme weather. Buckwheat attracts early-season pollinators. 

After you terminate your cover crop, mulch with the dead plant material, or gently till it under the surface.  

Add Organic Matter

Whether the soil is depleted or not, adding organic matter is a good idea. If you’re composting, top off your beds with a few inches after you clear them. In perennial beds, side dress shrubs and herbaceous plants with compost as well. Compost contains the macro and micronutrients your crops need to thrive. 

If you don’t have your own compost pile, consider starting one with a 3:1 ratio of green matter to brown matter. While you wait for your compost to build over the next few months, find a source of compost in bulk, whether bagged or delivered by a truck. You will not regret including compost in your February soil checklist. 

Use Your Broadfork

While this isn’t something every farmer needs to do before every spring season, light tilling with a broadfork every couple of years will benefit the rows and beds that receive it. If your soil has already been remedied and tends to keep good structure and fertility, you can skip it. But it helps areas that need some aeration and tilth. 

Employ the broadfork after a late winter rain, when the ground is still moist (but not waterlogged). This makes your job easier, and it’s easier on the soil, too. If you know rain is not in your forecast for the near future, thoroughly wet the soil before using the broadfork. For low till farms, only employ as needed. For farms that don’t mind the tillage, once per year is plenty. 

Build New Beds

One of the best ways to improve your yields is to make more space to grow things. Build new beds and create new rows where you can plant new crops. Especially if some of your space is fatigued, allow it to lie fallow and plant your crop in a new space. 

On farms where space is already limited, consider a few container crops. In these containers, you’ll have complete control over the soil within. This leads to control over fertility and your upcoming yields at harvest time. Even a few large grow bags or reused containers can give you room to grow more leaf lettuce or heads of cabbage.

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