With corn planting season right around the corner, here are some tips to prepare your planter for the new season.

By placing a level on the toolbar, you can easily check if it is horizontally aligned. If you notice the unit is either hanging backward or forward, you need to lift or lower the hookup to the tractor. This is essential to get accurate seed depth placement.

Next, align the planter units by looking across the planter units from the side. Are they all at the same height? If one unit is either up or down compared to the others, it needs some work.

A common problem is that some bolts are loose. You should not be able to easily lift up your unit. The bolts that control the up-and down movement and sideways movement should be very tight. Washers may need to be switched from inside to outside or vice-versa.

Third, check the diameter of seed opener disks. If they have worn too much they need replacement.

On planter disk openers, disks should at least have a diameter of 13.5 inches — new disks have a 15-inch diameter. Stick two business cards between the openers and move them as close together as possible.

The space between them should be 3 inches or more, depending on your planter type. If the opener disks are worn too much, soil will fall in the opened slot and you will get a “W” shaped seed slot instead of the desired “V” slot.

Check the diameter of the coulters and replace them if needed. You should adjust the depth of worn coulters that are still usable. There are some bolts that allow you to do this.

Also, check the pressure on the firming wheels. The downward pressure should be adequate, but not too high. Check the operator manual.

Depth wheels should run tight. Change washers from inside to outside, or vice versa, of depth wheel if necessary.

Next, check the depth of seed placement. Place the planter on a concrete floor to measure the difference between the bottom of the depth wheels and slot opener and adjust to the desired depth.

The front coulter should be set at the appropriate depth, never deeper than the seed slot openers. If the front coulter is set deeper than the seed openers, the seed may be placed too deep and at irregular depths.

Next, check the alignment of individual components. Look down each unit or take a rope and pull it straight from the front coulter to the back press wheels. The firming wheels, slot openers and coulters should all be in line.

Check the chains that drive the meters and their sprockets. If they are worn too much, they need to be replaced. Excessive wearing of these parts will cause skips and doubles.

Take the metering units apart and clean them. Remove dirt and clean the hood with soapy water. No kerosene, diesel or oil should ever be used in metering units.

Check for broken fingers in a finger-pickup meter, check the brush that wipes off excess seeds and see if a groove has formed in the chromium house of the metering unit. If the groove becomes large, and if brushes wear, you have a greater likelihood of doubles. Brushes need to be replaced at every other year.

Check the elevator belt in metering unit. The belt, in finger pickup meters, should be flexible, not have cracks in it and should be clean. Clean with soapy water and let it dry before putting it back in.

Put the metering unit back together. The rubber belt should be placed back in the right direction, or the meter will malfunction. You can lubricate with graphite, no oil or WD-40. The cap that holds the fingers should be tightened to the appropriate torque.

Next, calibrate the meter. It is highly recommended to take the finger pickup metering unit to the dealer to have it calibrated. Take a bag of your own seed with you and give him the correct speed at which you’ll be driving.

If you have a vacuum or air meter, check for leaks and the appropriate vacuum or air pressure.

Finally, check your fertilizer unit. Hang a bucket below the tube of the unit, and do a test run of 175 feet in the field. Weigh the fertilizer in the bucket, multiply by 100, and you have the fertilizer you’ll put on in pounds per acre. Adjust as needed.

All of this takes time, but it will pay dividends with a good stand, which is the first step toward top yields.

To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

Luke Fritz is executive director of the Butler County Farm Service Agency.