Are we heading for another dry spring?

[puppet]

Very cold rain just now. Off to bring some new lambs in for the night

 

[Sandy]

This wind has drawn every bit of moisture out of the ground

I wish it would take our moisture out were at almost 30mm in the last week

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I wish it would take our moisture out were at almost 30mm in the last week

Unbelievable isn’t it, it’s like bell metal here

 

[Sandy]

Unbelievable isn’t it, it’s like bell metal here

The joys of living on the coast with a north wind = cold and wet

 

[Breakthru]

Again very local. 75mm average here each month Nov to Feb. March 9mm April so far less than 1mm. 10 miles west light showers, did nothing other than stop the dust, 5 miles south puddles and ground turned colour, here nothing.
Looks very much like a rerun of last year. Mid April started to warm and May was extremely dry and warmer than usual.

 

[Chae1]

The joys of living on the coast with a north wind = cold and wet

Fudging sand storms here today! Fields blowing away.

3rd spring in a row like this. Its becoming normal. I didn't plough a bit in 1 field just ran over it with stubble cultivator. Be interesting to see if it does better. Should hold any moisture better and less chance of blowing.

 

[Sandy]

Fudging sand storms here today! Fields blowing away.

3rd spring in a row like this. Its becoming normal. I didn't plough a bit in 1 field just ran over it with stubble cultivator. Be interesting to see if it does better. Should hold any moisture better and less chance of blowing.

Zero till it’s the future

 

[Chae1]

Zero till it’s the future

Think it might be on some of our rubbish land. Clarted it with muck first so loads of it through it. The old timers thought it was stupid and nothing would grow. Looks okay so far.

 

[DrWazzock]

We have given up ploughing most of our sand down here as it is almost guaranteed to blow at some point during these dry springs. It’s the easiest to direct drlll with cereals and it works well but for the beet it needs a pass with a stubble cultivator. I sleep easier at night knowing it isn’t going over the hedge. I did plough a bit of sand for spring beans this year and of course it blew, taking the pre em with it. A mess. Next year they will go in behind a low disturbance subsoiler leg and that should be the end of serious sand erosion here.
Still working on a plan for the heavy land.

 

[Hilly]

Think it might be on some of our rubbish land. Clarted it with muck first so loads of it through it. The old timers thought it was stupid and nothing would grow. Looks okay so far.

Anything will grow anywhere well with plenty muck

 

[DrWazzock]

Anything will grow anywhere well with plenty muck

It’s certainly the answer to poor land. Makes keeping cattle worthwhile. I firmly believe there are a lot more different minerals and nutrients in muck than you’ll ever get out of a bag. Proper mixed farming.

 

[Hilly]

It’s certainly the answer to poor land. Makes keeping cattle worthwhile. I firmly believe there are a lot more different minerals and nutrients in muck than you’ll ever get out of a bag. Proper mixed farming.

No doubt about that , their is something in fym no one knows about , defo telt has special properties .

 

[yellow belly]

here looks try for a couple of weeks atleast

drains just trickling

 

[Martin Holden]

Dad can't get the discs into the ground today. Just bounce over the top. Three weeks ago would just sink.

Cold winds are amazing at drying soils out at a rapid rate

 

[Martin Holden]

desperate for nice warm steady rain, we are just drying out on top, moisture underground, but not that deep, put a water pipe underground 3 weeks ago , 15ins down, dry. Just hoping it's not 4 dry summers in a row for us, now spring is here, we are looking out for hay, load in today, £100/tonne. could be cheap, or dear, but good insurance.

Don’t panic. Just when you want a bit of rain we’ll get a deluge of it!

 

[som farmer]

Don’t panic. Just when you want a bit of rain we’ll get a deluge of it!

l didn't on the first dry summer, fed our fodder reserve, 2nd, just about eked through, but lost a lot of grass, overgrazing and drought, just killed the ryegrasses, 3rd, panicked, this was the driest, changed grazing practices, the leys sown previous aut, were 'drought' types, 20 odd acres of forage rape, eked through again, if this is a 4 in a row, summer, it will be damn unlucky, but l think we have taken enough 'precautions' to counter one. But will admit to buying hay, while it's cheap ! Buying fodder for the last 2.5 years, is both a mugs game, and expensive, and shown spring calving is not the 'best', for this farm, if you have to buffer feed xbreds, all through the summer. If we get a decent growthy summer, at least our reserves will be substantial.

 

[2wheels]

Fudging sand storms here today! Fields blowing away.

3rd spring in a row like this. Its becoming normal. I didn't plough a bit in 1 field just ran over it with stubble cultivator. Be interesting to see if it does better. Should hold any moisture better and less chance of blowing.

aye we were in banchory, dust in the air all the way to maryculter.

 

[Sid]

Don’t panic. Just when you want a bit of rain we’ll get a deluge of it!

Raining here steady this morning, still chilly on the quad this morning

 

[Wombat]

Be 4 weeks this coming tuesday since it last rained here, sand locally been blowing for a few weeks now

 

[Werzle]

Finally rained but not had much