A few posters here arguing about what is normal weather. None of us have been alive long enough to know what normal weather is, and records are too short to know either. From my limited research, it would appear that Palliser's interpretation of the prairies was likely closer to normal than the wet pattern we have been in basically since homesteading started. But if you take a longer time frame, normal is to be under 2 miles of ice, 90% of the time. So I figure it is easier to adapt to the wet dry cycles, than glaciation.
Locally, the weather has been anything but normal this spring. Spring came months early, the mud season barely even existed, even though we had plenty of snow. We have had a bit of moisture, but nothing now that we need it. Pastures were growing in April, and even March, but lately are barely growing. Turned off heat on the stock waterers in early March, then started getting killing frosts in most of May. Not one volunteer canola plant, they all must have froze. Tops of the grass is all frozen,dandelions froze in mid May. People were seeding in April, hearing of some horror stories of reseeding.
To start with, I was sympathetic with SF3, grateful not to have to deal with mud, seeding entire fields, a pleasant change compared to the last decade. But as of now it is getting scary. Any ground I had to work deep is now bone dry and not germinating. Never seen that happen on this ground. Normally just need to get seed somewhere near the soil and let the incessant rains do the rest, this year depth and packing are actually vital. Usually I avoid compaction at all costs, I won't even dry the pickup truck across a field for the damage it does, this year it looks like I should have rolled everything.
Would have been much easier to transition to being dry if not for having just finished such a wet year, with ruts, compaction and weeds to deal with.
I've travelled a bit the past few days and this is widespread, people are already worrying about pasture and feed, crops have stalled out if they germinated at all.
2002 and 2003 were bad here, but at least we started out with very good moisture, with cold late wet springs. They keep putting rain in the forecast then removing it, just like 2002, seems to be the pattern.
We don't need much rain to grow a crop, and the better land that was direct seeded is looking excellent right now. but later seeded lumpy clay is looking very depressing. Never had trouble germinating here, at least in my memory. Neighbors on lighter land in 2002 had crops not germinate till August though.
Realistically, this is the type of year I have been gearing towards, thinking that this is likely closer to average than the wet extremes we have been in, but some advance notice would have been helpful. And a little more time to transistion. Last year at this time we had artesian wells on every hillside..... Now this.
Locally, the weather has been anything but normal this spring. Spring came months early, the mud season barely even existed, even though we had plenty of snow. We have had a bit of moisture, but nothing now that we need it. Pastures were growing in April, and even March, but lately are barely growing. Turned off heat on the stock waterers in early March, then started getting killing frosts in most of May. Not one volunteer canola plant, they all must have froze. Tops of the grass is all frozen,dandelions froze in mid May. People were seeding in April, hearing of some horror stories of reseeding.
To start with, I was sympathetic with SF3, grateful not to have to deal with mud, seeding entire fields, a pleasant change compared to the last decade. But as of now it is getting scary. Any ground I had to work deep is now bone dry and not germinating. Never seen that happen on this ground. Normally just need to get seed somewhere near the soil and let the incessant rains do the rest, this year depth and packing are actually vital. Usually I avoid compaction at all costs, I won't even dry the pickup truck across a field for the damage it does, this year it looks like I should have rolled everything.
Would have been much easier to transition to being dry if not for having just finished such a wet year, with ruts, compaction and weeds to deal with.
I've travelled a bit the past few days and this is widespread, people are already worrying about pasture and feed, crops have stalled out if they germinated at all.
2002 and 2003 were bad here, but at least we started out with very good moisture, with cold late wet springs. They keep putting rain in the forecast then removing it, just like 2002, seems to be the pattern.
We don't need much rain to grow a crop, and the better land that was direct seeded is looking excellent right now. but later seeded lumpy clay is looking very depressing. Never had trouble germinating here, at least in my memory. Neighbors on lighter land in 2002 had crops not germinate till August though.
Realistically, this is the type of year I have been gearing towards, thinking that this is likely closer to average than the wet extremes we have been in, but some advance notice would have been helpful. And a little more time to transistion. Last year at this time we had artesian wells on every hillside..... Now this.
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