Drilling of beetroot, the key crop at Fleet Farm, West Butterwick near Scunthorpe, Lincs started only yesterday - a fortnight later than Chris Moore had hoped. But he remains hopeful that his 80ha (200 acres) of Pablo will achieve their 50t/ha (20t/acre) yield target.
"It's been so cold," he said. "For vegetables we really need the soil to be warm for 10 days before we go. It's the weather in May and June that really determines how the crop will perform."
When the crop was belt-lifted it was precision-sown so drilling was quite slow. Now being grown and lifted in beds it is effectively broadcast so sowing is speedier, he explained.
"We can do about 25 acres a day, so it shouldn't take long. We're two weeks behind, but I don't think it will affect the yield."
His 20ha (50 acres) of sugar beet sown a fortnight has not yet emerged, despite being from Advantage-treated seed. "This is almost certainly the last year we'll be growing it. We're just too far from the Newark factory, and at only £20/t I'm not losing too much sleep over it."
The farm's winter cereals look "not too bad", though the wheats are only just emerging from hibernation.
"The winter barley moves much faster. But at least the disease pressure is a lot less than last year when I was tearing my hair out over brown rust in wheat."
This year it is the grain market's volatility that is demanding more attention, he said. "I sold some wheat two weeks ago breaking the magic £200/t. Now for the same quality the price is back to £165."
To comment you must first log in (top left hand corner of the screen).
More diary entries in our Barometers' Over the Hedge series