Brrrr…..

As I write this post this morning, the temp reads 35.6F just outside the office window.  Not what a farmer would want at planting time.  And tonight is predicted to bring another frost.  I am not worried about the condition of our corn or soybeans, for none of it has emerged yet.  But we have some neighbors who planted in mid-March, and if their corn is big enough to have the ‘growing point’ above ground, those fields could suffer some damage from the cold.

Yesterday, Mike Grant of Channel 10 in Terre Haute came by to talk about the cold spell.  It appeared on last night’s evening news.  You can check out the story on their website, or click on the YouTube version below.

A different concern for me is the lengthy dry spell.  A rain would be welcome.  I certainly did not say those words in April of 2011, but this year is yet again another story.  It is more difficult to decide about the planting depth of the soybean seed when the dry weather continues.  I have placed seed deeper for two days now, relying on the extended forecast that no rain will occur until next week.  I typically plant very shallow in April, for you can normally count on rain to keep the soil soft to ease the beans’ emergence.  But this time, I must plant deeper so that the seed will lie in moist soil, but they have farther to go to ‘get out of the ground’.   It is a farmer’s perplexing question… how deep to plant soybeans?

So, we are praying for a gentle rain and some warmer temperatures.