Sowing ww in February ?
- Thread starter bobk
- Start date
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Choose variety carefully. High seed rate. I put N in the seedbed too.
- Location
- Yorkshire North bit
Drier seedbed 
That's in the lap of the godsDrier seedbed
- Location
- Yorkshire North bit
Pointless praying look what happened when I did
farmerm
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
If it is forecast for an inch of rain the next day no matter how good an opportunity it seems, don't bother....
Last February was really dry , need to explore anything than spring poxy barley
average farmer
Member
- Location
- North Notts
Last February I drilled out what was left in the drill from the backend and some off the heap. It never looked as good as the true spring wheat planted at the same time but yielded a bit better .
All had pre em and cold wet weather for a month. Winter wheat then had pacifica which would have knocked 7 bells off sh!t out of the Kilburn.
Wouldn’t hesitate to drill ww in February now or spring wheat in November or mix them together.
All had pre em and cold wet weather for a month. Winter wheat then had pacifica which would have knocked 7 bells off sh!t out of the Kilburn.
Wouldn’t hesitate to drill ww in February now or spring wheat in November or mix them together.
The weather could easily be worse in February. As others have said put plenty of seed and early nitrogen on. I have had mixed results drilling in February and it relies on a good couple of weeks post drilling more than anything else. I would just work the top few inches as the soil will be very cold lower down.
I still haven't given up on drilling in November yet despite the recent weather. I am on limestone land though.
farmerm
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
Last feb would have been fine... feb 2019 was fine for a week so I drilled but then it pee'd down an inch the next day and I spent the next 6 months wishing I hadn't.
- Location
- South Notts
Up seed rates, the plants won’t have time to tiller like they / you are used to sown pre Christmas. I’d be looking at 500 seeds /m2 + in Feb.
Sowed sb march 13 , a week later it had a foot of snow on it
Average Farmerboy
Member
February 2020 I planted skyfall it did ok, 2.75 tons acre. Just planted a high seed rate. Was cheaper to grow no pre ems, no Atlantis type products. Just sprayed for broadleaf weeds and 2 fungicides.
- Location
- Lincs
Feb 5-8 2023 I drilled 100 acres of Gleam at 225kg/ha, 150kgs N, 3 fungicides and it averaged 10.6t/ha over a weighbridge. Hopefully the same again in Feb 24, but it will be a lot more than 100 acres!!
haymaker80
Member
- Location
- Stafford
Yes remember that. We sowed ww first week of march, ended up redrilling with sb middle of April.
Flintstone
Member
- Location
- Berkshire
Have a few dead rooks in the freezer ready to peg out. They love some Feb drilled cereals to peck at, and it takes ages to emerge. Around four weeks normally.
I actually really like winter drilling. It’s cheaper to grow, and I honestly think it gives a more reliable gross margin.
I actually really like winter drilling. It’s cheaper to grow, and I honestly think it gives a more reliable gross margin.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
The more important factor was February and early March negligible rainfall, so after your sowings That followed five weeks in January with well below average rainfall.
Devil's advocate
Member
- Location
- Posh side of Barnsley
We drilled winter barley just before the beast from the east.
Crows had a real go at it, but it did tiller out & was a decent crop.
2001 was very similar but not such a big snow & that was a bumper crop. It was the foot & mouth year.
There does seem to be a link between wet late Autumns & dry Feb's followed by a cold March. Might be coicidence we will know by Easter.
Devil's advocate
Member
- Location
- Posh side of Barnsley
Its odd all seed houses publish the latest safe drilling for each wheat but not for winter barley.
I was once told that most winter barleys in this country have some spring barley in the breeding. My own feeling is ok till late Feb & for a small area I'd go to 10th March. Barnsley can be quite cold in the spring but I am on decent land.
Vernalisation dates have got to be an average, very different drilling at Exeter to drilling at Newcastle, must be two weeks difference min.
I was once told that most winter barleys in this country have some spring barley in the breeding. My own feeling is ok till late Feb & for a small area I'd go to 10th March. Barnsley can be quite cold in the spring but I am on decent land.
Vernalisation dates have got to be an average, very different drilling at Exeter to drilling at Newcastle, must be two weeks difference min.