Patience wears thin as we head in to May and the ground is still wet and cold. The cost of going in too soon, based on soil conditions and not the calendar, can be mighty costly. If the ground is fit, but a little cool, that’s one thing, but ground that is both wet and cool is just going to end up in a mess if you put the planter in too soon.
In this episode of the Corn School, RealAgriculture field editor Bernard Tobin joins Doug Alderman, national sales manager for PRIDE Seeds, on his farm near Inwood, Ont., to gauge soil “fitness”. The term “fit” can mean different things, however Alderman uses the squeeze test to evaluate first the top soil, and then the planting zone’s moisture levels. That, combined with current soil temperature and an eye to the forecast, will dictate the length of time before Alderman will send the planter to this particular field.
(This episode also has a special guest appearance by a farm dog and a fishing pole! Keeping it real here on Real Agriculture!)
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