No, not the band from back in the 70’s or 80’s. But the ground temperatures and what comes with it. Last week down at the Vermillion elevator there is a group of guys that sit around for coffee and doughnuts every morning and look at the temps and talk smart. They reported 43 degrees one morning and that whole week ground temps never climbed above 50 degrees. After four months of above average temps the month of May will go down as one of the coolest Mays in history.
So you wonder why the seed sits in the ground and comes crawling out weak and spindly or doesn’t come up at all. Ground temperatures this time of year are typically in the mid 60’s. This year they have consistently been in the 50’s with only a handful of nice days in the month of May. The weeds always seem to thrive which makes it more difficult for hoeing because the plants that were planted or seeded tend to stand still while the weeds keep growing. Mechanical and hand hoeing are essential tools that still exist with vegetable production and are very important for making an excellent vegetable crop, but you need some heat so that the crop doesn’t get surpassed by the weeds.
Let’s hope for shorts weather these coming weeks so we can get out there enjoy the sunshine and the mosquitos! Happy Trails!
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