Spring Planting 2011

Faron · May 12, 2011, 07:18:20 AM

We have no tilled now for several years. It brings a whole new set of challenges, but yields generally keep getting better, and equipment and fuel expenses are contained. We now have a definite soil structure that tillage destroys. We have been observing while we install tile, and regularly see soybean roots reaching down more than 36 inches in the ground.
Almost no crops planted here yet. We started spraying yesterday, and after 25 acres, the PTO shaft on the sprayer came loose and self destructed.

:( Apparently the set screws on the newly installed pump were not tight enough. I struck out on parts yesterday, and am off in another direction this morning.

Weekend_Sawyer · May 12, 2011, 11:50:10 PM

I'm traveling too much these days to even attempt planting. This will be the first year in a long time that has happened.

I'll be making my salsa using eastern shore products. It works just as well but it's not quite the same.

Jon

SwampDonkey · May 13, 2011, 04:54:18 AM

I'll be planting my small raised beds again. I put down some weed control fabric around the frames and put down 25 bags (2 cu foot) of red cedar mulch so as to make it easier to keep the grass away and to mow around.

I told the boss I have to be superman to get all the work done this season, so I know what your saying Weekend_Sawyer. ;D

Coon · May 13, 2011, 12:49:35 PM

Well, the farmers around here are starting to scratch around a bit in some of the higher fields while the rest of them are still scratching their butts trying to figure out whether they will get the crops in this year or not. Seeding is usually well under way by this time but not this year.

SwampDonkey · May 13, 2011, 01:58:53 PM

The local bunch are working the fields today. It's almost 70 degrees today.

Patty · May 13, 2011, 06:10:05 PM

Corn is up!! Amazing hybrids these days. We planted a week ago and the corn is out of the ground already. 8) 8)

trapper · May 13, 2011, 11:10:49 PM

neighbour putting liquid fertlizer here yesterday soil still too wet here farmers getting worried here about not having crops in yet. still some water in furrows in my fields. I only have 40 acres that a neighbor cash crops. beans, corn and winter wheat in rotation .

chain · May 14, 2011, 07:23:40 PM

Best crop growing right now are potatoes, they're blooming and were planted in March. The cotton planters are having a fit as I've yet to see a stand anywhere I've been in the Bootheel of Missouri. If there is cotton, there will be some fields in Dunklin county which borders Arkansas; they have sandy soils. Possible some cotton near Sikeston on the ridge.

Corn has taken the biggest hit , our corn is drowning in seepwaters from the still high flood stage of the Ms. river. Many farmers have yet to put any seed in the ground as flood water covered thousands and thousands of acres, some say an area 40-60 miles wide and nearly a hundred miles long was covered by flood waters.....get this..these waters were on the protected side of the Ms. river levees!

Then, we had another windstorm in our Tree farm. Lost bunches of 12-16" SL pine blown down and a several oaks. Lucky the oak leaves were not full out or the wind would have blown many more over.

SwampDonkey · May 14, 2011, 07:58:43 PM

How the heck could you have blossomed potatoes now, it was snowing just a month ago at Bibby's?

Been wet here today and for the next few. Not much farming happening.

chain · May 14, 2011, 08:42:23 PM

Quote from: SwampDonkey on May 14, 2011, 07:58:43 PM
How the heck could you have blossomed potatoes now, it was snowing just a month ago at Bibby's?

Been wet here today and for the next few. Not much farming happening.

I have some potatoes blooming in our garden also. Early variety, but most grown around here are for potatoe chips.

Roxie · May 14, 2011, 09:08:07 PM

Corn went in about 10 days ago, and it's up. The real event this past week was all the hay that hit the ground.

We had a solid week of sunshine and that first cut is baled or stuffed.

sandhills · May 15, 2011, 10:52:47 AM

We got started a week ago today on our corn, most around here were going a little earlier but it's been cool and/or wet all spring. Been wet here since last Wednesday and haven't turned a wheel since then. Very little corn up yet around here, most folks are that are still planting are on beans now.

scsmith42 · May 18, 2011, 06:43:08 PM

Looks like warm weather is coming and the rains are leaving. Tomorrow I start cutting hay. Most likely I'll be baling it on Monday or Tuesday.

SwampDonkey · May 18, 2011, 07:31:59 PM

Yes, it rained in the am, but 3:00 pm it was partly sunny and reached 70 degrees. 8) It still looks unsettled though. :(

Faron · May 18, 2011, 08:32:11 PM

Wet here and fixing to get wetter, I am afraid. :-\ What little has been planted has been mudded in. I can't raise much in the mud. :(

Handy Andy · May 19, 2011, 07:35:39 AM

Here in Kansas, near I-70 and I-135, it's been dry as a bone. Yesterday we finally got 1/2" of rain. I didn't think it was ever going to rain. The corn is up here, wheat looks pretty good in spite of the conditions. Pond water is low. Grass is short in the cow pastures. My first cutting of alfalfa is ready to cut, but doesn't hardly look worth running the swather. Maybe now it will thicken up. The spring rains just fooled with us. It would be wet for 3 days, but we'd have .15" in the gauge. One good thing is I got my corrals cleaned up. Smelled bad for about a week. Wish I could catch the gas and fill the propane tank.
Norm, if I drove 9 mph, no way I'd get a stand. Have to hold the speed down to about 5.5. And I'm not planting any beans till between June 7 and 15, so they have some life left when we are waiting for the 1st of Sept rain.

Norm · May 19, 2011, 07:46:23 AM

The first time I ran the drill and was told what speed to go I thought no way will this seed right. Much to my surprise when they sprouted I had seed every few inches up and neat rows 7"s apart. Last year on one of my better fields they ran 66bu an acre. Of course the down side is having a planter that's only 15' wide.

Sorry to hear of the wet and dry conditions folks are having. Our forecast is rain and more rain but hope it doesn't turn into the monsoons we've been getting every year lately in May and June.

Kansas · May 19, 2011, 08:15:25 AM

We finally are getting some rain here in NE Kansas. I'm guessing everything is pretty well planted. Corn is up, so are a lot of beans. Close to an inch of rain overnight. My sister 80 miles east by Kansas City has experienced heavy rain for the last month. I missed virtually all of it.

Now the question is, with new crop corn at 6.00, do I sell some based on the crop insurance? Never have done that before. Be nice to at least lock in my costs.

Patty · May 19, 2011, 10:41:05 AM

Soybeans are popping up through the soil, and we planted the sweet corn this morning. The rains are scheduled to come tomorrow.

sandhills · May 19, 2011, 02:16:24 PM

We planted a little more corn on Tuesday, probably shouldn't have as wet as it was but starting to get nervous. Had to work at the sailbarn yesterday and it's been raining off and on since then, suppose to keep it up through the weekend and it's plenty chilly yet to boot. :

Hope the sun decides to shine next week.

Autocar · May 19, 2011, 03:40:21 PM

Here in Ohio I believe they said on the news that 7 percent of the corn has been planted and soybeans has been zip ! Last month we may have had two days with out rain this month so far it has rainned everyday We probably lost more top soil this spring then what we have lost in the last ten years. It is starting to get real serious on the time to get the corn in the ground.

Mr Mom · May 19, 2011, 04:38:56 PM

Autocar beat me to it but i can add that this time last year Ohio had 83% of corn in the ground.

Thanks Alot Mr Mom

SwampDonkey · May 19, 2011, 06:53:31 PM

It's been wet for sure. But in my area with one good day of sun it soon dries good. Our rain has been in dribbles with maybe a good soaking a week. But still a pain in the butt to get started planting. The ground drains good around here. My wood man could drive down to the barn today with a load of stove wood and hardly left a mark in the sod. Brought two loads up to the house to, so 4.5 cords in today. I have not tucked any away in the house as it's a bit damp down there and need to get warm enough to open the place up to dry the floor good. I do have 2 cords ranked outside to dry further for my fall wood. Two more loads, maybe tomorrow and I got all my wood. 8)

doctorb · May 20, 2011, 08:59:10 AM

Norm- and all you planters of crops-

What does it cost in fuel to get your ground prepared and get the seeds in the ground. Do you guys figure that per acre?

sandhills · May 20, 2011, 09:52:09 AM

doctorb, I try not to it scares me :-\. Just kidding, that's one of the major expenses anymore that we have to figure on and one the reasons a lot of folks have switched to minimum till or no till farming. I can't speak for any other operations but we have cut back on tillage a lot in recent years due to that and erosion so I guess you'd call us minimum till. With my dad and I both running on a good day we will burn anywhere from 120 to 180 gallons of fuel, but we're a small operation (8 row equiptment, 150-200 hp tractors). Now my neighbors that just bought 2 new 36 row planters and 2 new 4wd tractors to pull them plus all the tractors/equiptment to work the ground ahead of them pretty much have a fuel truck moving all day. ;D