When is to late for Spring Barley

[udderly-ridiculous]

What are people thoughts on how late you can drill spring barley?
We're in Oxfordshire and thinking drill up until May, sadly I can't see us getting it in by then!

 

[spin cycle]

think you're right....do you mean you can't get drilling.....or won't quite get finished before may... in which case it's probably worth a punt

 

[udderly-ridiculous]

Was ploughed and pressed last autumn, Knocked it down with the power harrow this week, but under the nice winter tilth of 1 inch its like putty, we're on heavy clay! looks like 250 acres of Summer fallow

 

[spin cycle]

Was ploughed and pressed last autumn, Knocked it down with the power harrow this week, but under the nice winter tilth of 1 inch its like putty, we're on heavy clay! looks like 250 acres of Summer fallow

situated where you are perhaps a summer forage....or leave as fallow for first wheat......crazy plan.....broadcast seed...ph in ...then subsoil when drier

 

[bobk]

Get some maize in .

 

[udderly-ridiculous]

OSR is planed for the autumn

 

[spin cycle]

OSR is planed for the autumn

fallow it is then

 

[SilliamWhale]

Personally I'd say until about end of first week of May

 

[two-cylinder]

Grandfather use to say, if you haven't heard the cookoo you're ok?

 

[z.man]

will sow up to 10th may up here would rather be done by end of this month though

 

[hindmaist]

The fekin' rhododendrons will be out before my barleys in.

 

[nick...]

I think the time has gone.muddle in a crop and time youve sprayed and fed it you will do well to get your money back.probably struggle to get a foot tall so hardly any straw either.spoken to local farmers recently round here who reckon its a waste of time and a few have ended up ploughing it back in after failures.with sods law being what it is after all the rain we could get an instant drought which could well delay germination aswell.i understand it will be differant elsewhere in the uk
Nick...

 

[hindmaist]

Ground conditions are now excellent.Seedbeds are now perfect.Seedrate upped to 1.8 cwt/acre.Thorough,careful rolling essential.Hope for the best.

 

[An Gof]

The fekin' rhododendrons will be out before my barleys in.

Already out here

 

[Flat 10]

Was ploughed and pressed last autumn, Knocked it down with the power harrow this week, but under the nice winter tilth of 1 inch its like putty, we're on heavy clay! looks like 250 acres of Summer fallow

Whip over it with a wide air drill one inch deep then? Or next time use a combi? Seriously though I've drilled beet this week in dust on to stuff like that just moving the top and using light(ish) tractors. As others have said may be a summer forage crop might be better. From your user name I could guess you have livestock in which case you probably want the straw? in which case the crop is more valuable to you? Wither way with 250 acres to go at I would at least try and stick the driest 50acres in today before the rain to see how it goes.

 

[jon9000]

Just be patient..... we grow loads of malting barley.... when the ground is good to go....

.
. GO!
Safe upto end of first week of may

 

[shakerator]

A lot last year sat in dust until well into may and still went flat! You can drill in April but effectively you haven't "planted"it till it germinates

 

[Big-Al]

We have 300 acres just in since Saturday, it will be fine to drill till first week of May and be better put in than left for fallow,
the straw itself will pay for the growing, a lot of farmers haven't bothered so will be worth a punt i'm sure.

Drilling yesterday

 

[ajcc]

Broadcast sow the whole acreage in two or three days.

 

[Clive]

Spring oats were up and full row in 1 week

Nature has an amazing knack of catching up and balancing so get it iin

If anything that’s in the ground now (any crop) becomes a good crop or not has much more to do with the weather between now and harvest than the weather up until now