Late Seeding...1979, 1962

[Koldkanuck]

Well here we go, its May 1 and here in eastern Sask., we got the ground covered in snow from last night. Oh we have had snow before in May, but not to many times did it occur with snow on the ground that did not melt from the winter. I don't remember 1962, but 1979 was simular to this. It just got dried up in the middle of May, then it started raining. We did not get started seeding until the last week of May. Of course a lot of crops froze, and yields for the area were horrible, mostly feed. Old timers say that in 1962, general seeding did not start in most parts of Manitoba and eastern Sask. until June 5. Maybe some of you remember trying to seed canola with airplanes, or broadcasting it on with a Valmar on a harrow bar or of that sort. The weather can change drastically in a few days, but its already time to adjust seeding plans. Summerfallow and seeding of rye and winter wheat are already in the equation. Time to start looking for some good 6 row barley seed.

[freewheat]

Too young for those years, but 2006 I seeded canola by plane. Not really that
worthwhile if it stays wet.

2012 seeded some with floater. Again, not worthwhile if it stays wet too long.

Worth it for crop insurance coverage though, it established well, it just was
too saturated all year. I have no doubt it can work if it gets more normal
after it emerges., as on the hills, it was awesome.

I have wheat and some canola slated for my higher less frost prone land. Even
in 2004 it never froze too bad.

but yeah, the flatter, wetter land looks pretty bad. May have to change to oats
or barley, even polish canola.

Good to have a backup plan indeed.

[fjlip]

74 was the sh*ts here, first spring with a new 2470 with duals and boy was it needed. Had to harrow late May to dry the top to scratch the grease with a cult a couple of passes to dry out the top soil before seeding. Polish canola probably made it. Wheat was late,froze to feed, dried all with first Grain Chief drier. Oh the memories!

[Koldkanuck]

Old memories are right fjlip. Nightmares of drying with an old Tox o Wix, then a used MC (Matthews Company) drier. Not that long ago, I knew of some guys that bought a few cheap 500 bushel driers for 300-500 bucks at auction sales. They landed up selling them from $3,000-$5,000 bucks. Yup...remember drying $1,50 feed wheat,and the cost after everything probably cost $1.00 a bushel then. Some younger farmers have no clue how to lose money big time. 9 out of 10 farmers went bankrupt, even some who got everything handed to them. It was hush hush in those days, now its just a business. Fertilizer and chemical companies push to get that crop in, use their products. Piss on them. Nothing wrong in making a few acres summerfallow if it gets real late. No use trying to get that "marginal" piece of land seeded, just to get it froze out.

[agstar77]

1962 was so wet hardly anything around here was seeded. This year we did not start wet last fall.

[Burbert]

Ya'll kin add 2013 ta the equation. Go
Comedian framers go! Fharperenritz eh.