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The potato planting party was canceled this past Sunday. There is a chance we may try again next weekend depending on what the weather does this week and if we find time to plant them during the work week. Stay tuned.
Farm News
I was hoping with the warm weather so far this Spring that we’d have an early start to the season. I’m not so sure that will happen given this week’s forecast. With rain chances almost every day this week it will be nearly impossible to get work done in the field. And if the work doesn’t get done the transplants act like children in the summertime — just hanging around looking for something to do and complaining about how bored they are. I’m just glad we keep them outside so they aren’t constantly bickering at each other here in the house!
With the rain forecast all week there will come a time in the middle of July when we wonder why there is a shortfall in what we are harvesting. We grow a lot of successions of a variety of plants. If we can’t get them in the ground at the time we planned we run the risk of being a bit short at some time during the harvest season — and flush shortly thereafter. Of course there are so many variables that influence the speed at which plants grow that having a week delay in getting stuff planted may not have an impact, but it does make one nervous about all the work piling up.
Another issue with the long wet period is that weeds love it. They can grow without concern for us coming through with the cultivator or hoe. With all the moisture they grow quickly. So when we finally do get back out into the field the level of effort is far greater than if we had a few dry days in between. Plus with a lost week of work we’ll be catching up on the planting and may end up delaying the weed management for an additional week. A week of rain can be quite the challenge. But we will persevere. Someday the rain will stop. Someday we will get back into the field without fear of losing our boots.
Other than avoiding the raindrops we’re fixing stuff that always seems to break. This week will be the Allis Chalmers G cultivating tractor. It periodically needs to have the carburetor cleaned out. So time to take off the horticulturist hat and put on the tractor repair hat. I hope it still fits.
As always, send in your questions, comments, observations, requests, favorite Prince songs and anything else that may be relevant.