A month without rain?

[manhill]

Orders now being taken for producing rain in your area. You cut some decoy grass and scatter it then I'll come along with my baler. I can guarantee it will rain then!

 

[Steevo]

Got a field of wheat on clay that I was sick of looking at every time it rained. Took it out and sowed spring barley in it 10 days ago and now got the opposite problem

Yup had a field of stubble I couldn’t get in last autumn that I drilled 3rd April that lies ungerminated

That’s life though

What happened to the moisture you had...?

 

[Steevo]

4.5mm steady rain so far here this morning.

Hoping for about 10mm by tomorrow.

It’s very very welcome.

Excellent stuff, glad to hear it!!

Rain was due here about now but has been delayed til midday - seems you guys liked it so much you've decided to hold onto it a bit longer!

 

[shakerator]

Been bouncing about on rock hard tramlines putting the last of the fertiliser on with that feeling that I am just going through the motions again. Don’t know if this years crops will make use of it. It just sits on the surface. Yes we can get things done but it would be nice to see the crops making real progress rather than just hanging on. Actually feel happier working in the shed than being out on the fields looking at poor and struggling crops. The beet in particular sits there at the size of a small wing nut for what seems like eternity taking one battering after another from strong easterly winds.
It’s often been like it though, but it’s the reduced potential and waste of effort and inputs that bugs me. That’s farming all round though. If it wasn’t for the scenery and the independence it wouldn’t be worth doing.

I love that wing nut analogy

 

[Steevo]

I love that wing nut analogy

Likewise - gave me a good smile but so true!

 

[Jerry]

Excellent stuff, glad to hear it!!

Rain was due here about now but has been delayed til midday - seems you guys liked it so much you've decided to hold onto it a bit longer!

Spring barley will like it.

Spread a load of fert yesterday on wheat rape oats and barley in the hope it would rain. Should crack on now.

 

[7610 super q]

Careful now. Any mention of drought, and the Aussie posters will be calling us unhappy vaginas...

 

[shakerator]

Likewise - gave me a good smile but so true!

whilst the weeds have 2 true leaves before beet cotyledons fully expanded

 

[Wombat]

What happened to the moisture you had...?

I had to disc it twice to get a vague seedbed and then drill the next day an roll but that was enough for it to go, the wind gets in round the clods and we are done. This is mg index 9 clay though not blow away sand that people call heavy while planting potatoes

Neighbour is having to power harrow behind his claydon to bury the seed, its proper land

 

[DrWazzock]

Wish I had done more rolling. Was worried about sealing it in to slightly wet slots but it’s 10 times better where I overlapped.

whilst the weeds have 2 true leaves before beet cotyledons fully expanded

Particularly the cranesbill. Despite scorching drought it seems to find moisture from somewhere and before you know it it’s got two true leaves and laughs at any beet herbicide known to mankind.

 

[DrWazzock]

Spring barley will like it.

Spread a load of fert yesterday on wheat rape oats and barley in the hope it would rain. Should crack on now.

Now you are just rubbing it in. Rain envy.?

 

[DrWazzock]

I was considering redriling some beet on particularly knobbly patches but I think I would be wasting my time unless a decent rain is likely. Not a huge area but yet another embarrassment to look at for 8 months . Sod it, I think I’ll mow the lawn.

 

[shakerator]

Wish I had done more rolling. Was worried about sealing it in to slightly wet slots but it’s 10 times better where I overlapped.



Particularly the cranesbill. Despite scorching drought it seems to find moisture from somewhere and before you know it it’s got two true leaves and laughs at any beet herbicide known to mankind.

get the beet hoe out and remove another 10mm moisture !

 

[DrWazzock]

get the beet hoe out and remove another 10mm moisture !

yes I think best just left alone now. It’s got to that point. It’s had one herbicide the other night which I was loathe to apply as it’s under stress but seemed best compromise. Best not look at it for a fortnight now.?

 

[shakerator]

Off topic sorry but I can see beet being a bl**dy disaster on variable cobble soils, with no neonics

 

[Hilly]

Drying wind here it’s leg tying like the tundra ?

 

[DrWazzock]

Off topic sorry but I can see beet being a bl**dy disaster on variable cobble soils, with no neonics

So can I. Although according to the experts it’s normally usually the growers fault for not drilling it deep enough or not preparing the seedbed properly. I suppose theoretically it’s possible to get a good take on heavy land but I find the window of opportunity is so small here in going from sticky cack to concrete that I rarely succeed in getting satisfactory establishment on heavy areas. The more you work it the smaller the clods but less depth you have for the drill to work in and the harder it is underneath. The less you work it, the bigger the clods and the poorer the seed to soil contact. So a shower of rain or even a dew chits it then it dies because it can’t get anymore moisture. I should have rolled ours more. I acknowledge that. It would have helped slightly maybe.

 

[shakerator]

So can I. Although according to the experts it’s normally usually the growers fault for not drilling it deep enough or not preparing the seedbed properly. I suppose theoretically it’s possible to get a good take on heavy land but I find the window of opportunity is so small here in going from sticky cack to concrete that I rarely succeed in getting satisfactory establishment on heavy areas. The more you work it the smaller the clods but less depth you have for the drill to work in and the harder it is underneath. The less you work it, the bigger the clods and the poorer the seed to soil contact. So a shower of rain or even a dew chits it then it dies because it can’t get anymore moisture. I should have rolled ours more. I acknowledge that. It would have helped slightly maybe.

the fact is a monogerm seed with primer is a very un natural thing

 

[teslacoils]

the fact is a monogerm seed with primer is a very un natural thing

Think how many jobs could be created for unemployed Brits by going back to singling beet by hand. Sure they would love it.

 

[DrWazzock]

the fact is a monogerm seed with primer is a very un natural thing

I was wondering about that. I find most of the seed in heavy areas seems to have split its coating and shrivelled up. Not good. It doesn’t seem to wait for a decent rain like natural seed.