Friday Crop Report on a Thursday!

[Sheepwheat]

It can look pretty bleak this time of year Sheep but when spring comes it will happen fast! We had 100% snow cover into April a few years ago and I was wondering how the cows would calve in snow. But thankfully by the middle of the month the sun got so high that the hill tops started showing up and in a few days the snow was gone and the grass wasn't far behind! Good luck!

I know. Things can turn on a dime. I try hard to not be a negative Nellie, but it’s so frustrating to see everywhere else be able to be mobile. I try to feed the sheep on new snow each day. I try to spread it around on the pasture. But this year all the feed is happening in a tiny area, because there is no other way. It’s exhausting shovelling out gates. Times like these I wonder what I’ll do honestly as I get older.

Ireland sounds pleasant.

[SASKFARMER]

The melt is on today at least.

Started the cleaner and peas are first up to bat.

[Retired]

Thought I saw a bare patch on the home quarter the other day. But it was just another dead deer. Could skidoo anywhere your heart desires.

This is getting to be not funny anymore. All single digit highs, many barely above freezing for two weeks. A bunch of highs of plus one in mid April?

That would be a first, even in this foresaken Siberian slough.

I’m gunna run out of feed at this rate. There will for sure not be green grass until late may at the earliest.

We never plan on grass before June 1st, some times we get a week earlier but pay for it in fall usuialy.

[seldomseen]

Did someone say Spring or green grass?
No sight of it here.

[shtferbrains]

Did someone say Spring or green grass?
No sight of it here.

Below normal forcast here exept of course the last 2 days that never come.
-12 for Thursday night.

Going to be a lot of water running if it doesn't start melting soon.

[furrowtickler]

Did someone say Spring or green grass?
No sight of it here.

We had that in 2013 I think .
Had a backhoe come in and dig it out because we had traded that one off . Blew back in a few days later . Finally got it about May 5 th
Never started till May 12 that year. We were still seeding around a few snow banks that first week.
Year turned out great , once it warmed up it stayed warm , no late spring frosts, and the crop took off like crazy.

[helmsdale]

Waiting on moisture here.

You could seed corner to corner right now with decent soil temperatures. Haven't punched a moisture probe in here lately, but we were sitting at 39f over two weeks ago.

Drew's latest prognosticator certainly pertained well to this area. There is a very real chance that if you dropped seeds into the ground right now, they would quickly run out of moisture and run the very real chance of dying if significant moisture does not show up soon. Soil moisture is the most limited that I've ever seen in my brief career.

If we do not see significant mositure here in the next 10 days, mid-april seeding will get postponed until I suppose at the latest the first week of may. Provided soil temperatures pick up into the mid 50's by then I'd rather dump seeds into very warm dirt and hope for quick germination followed by the "rain train" that drew seems to have staked his reputation on starting mid to end of may. If that doesn't show up, we're in deep shit.

[Taiga]

Bone dry here too, no snow, neighbour is disking already (?), and the county has water trucks running on the gravel roads spraying water to keep the dust down.

[helmsdale]

Bone dry here too, no snow, neighbour is disking already (?), and the county has water trucks running on the gravel roads spraying water to keep the dust down.

Have a half section that grew decent mustard, but excellent buckwheat last year... Wondering what I should be doing with it. For once in my life I wish I had a K-hart. Neighbor has a pro-till that we're hoping we can just scratch the surface to chop the vines but leave plenty of residue still up on top. Do i hit it now and wait for a rain to promote some weed growth, then spray ahead of the drill? Or does a guy spray it about 5 days prior to seeding and hit it with the pro-till as close as possible to the same time as the drill? Honestly, moisture retention isn't going to matter all that much. When all you have is 4-5" of somewhat moist soil on the surface with zero subsoil moisture you're left in the situation of praying to the rain gods.

[Taiga]

I don’t know it’s a month early for us up here yet, I am not making any hasty plans. When May comes I probably won’t seed until rain is in the long range forecast.

[Sheepwheat]

Interesting there are places that measure soil temperature. Here, when you can go, you go. Who knows what the temp of the soil is? Haha. So long as there isn’t too much snow along the edge of the field, you get rolling, because who knows, it will probably rain or snow tomorrow.

[sumdumguy]

We’ve seeded lentils the end of April about 5 years. But doesn’t look like wheels will be turning until mid-may but who knows? This cold spring may surprise us yet.

[seldomseen]

Interesting there are places that measure soil temperature. Here, when you can go, you go. Who knows what the temp of the soil is? Haha. So long as there isn’t too much snow along the edge of the field, you get rolling, because who knows, it will probably rain or snow tomorrow.

Same here. Never waited for soil temp Just wait for the soil to be dry enough and then go. Get as much done as fast as you can before the next rain shows up or before you know it it's June first.
This year the snow in the tree lines will stay late and keep the draws wet while the high ground dry's out.

[Sheepwheat]

Today’s high was for plus eight. It is one.