Well the dry weather gave way to rain, the warm weather went back cold again and everything slowed up dramatically. Now the sun’s out again, the rain’s gone away for a while and I expect everything will take advantage of this and race on to catch up. Earlier this week I looked at a crop [...]
With the exception of a number of fields of winter rape we’ve still been writing-off, our crops have taken on a new lease of life this month. Our winter wheats are a good 2-3 weeks behind this time last year, with most still at GS30. But with the warmer weather, enough soil moisture and the [...]
Having been asked to hang a rope banger out whilst on my rounds, as I was driving up the well-worn tramline to the Official Rope Banger Stick, I suddenly thought “Next time I come round I won’t be able to drive up this tramline.” At long last. So that’s the end of I.C.M. (In-Car Monitoring) [...]
Since last writing the weather has finally warmed up and crops have started to grow, but not before winter had her final say and a few more marginal winter crops were written off. According to my records we are currently about three weeks behind in terms of growth stage in most crops. T1 on wheat [...]
Since I wrote my last article a month ago little has changed on farm, the relentless easterlies and freezing conditions have prevented crops from growing away. Rape crops are now a very mixed bag; the forward, early established crops don’t look too bad. These crops are, however, in the minority. Most rape crops have gone [...]
With winter determined not to loosen its grip, we’re preparing for a rush of fieldwork when it does eventually warm up. Which, above all else, will mean careful prioritisation of spraying and particular care over crop safety. After the false dawn of February, a good 70mm of rain followed by slushy snow and a wicked [...]
Occasionally there is a temptation to look up at the sky and plead “OK, OK, enough is enough, we know you’re Omnipotent and all that, and we’re very sorry for whatever we’re supposed to have done, but can we now just get on with a bit of farming?” I cannot remember a time in my [...]
At the time of writing winter is still very much having what we hope will be its final fling. With heavy rain followed by freezing or near freezing temperatures, many of the crops are looking very sad and sorry for themselves. On the plus side there should now be less of a worry over vernalisation [...]