That has been pushed a little earlier when the forecast is warm for the ten days after planting.  I've seen the seed trench warm up 8 degrees in one day compared to the soil around it with the Martin system including CIH gauge wheel tire, spiked closing wheels and drag chain.  If I get the corn up and it turns cool and wet, we all know how corn struggles and we can really set it back or stunt it.

In 2004-2007 and 2012 I planted early and the weather stayed pretty favorable to corn growth.  2011 and 2013 it stayed cool and wet here and if I were a gambling man, I don't think we will have favorable conditions here until May again this year.

I don't watch soil temperature here as much as I do weather trends and forecasts.  It just doesn't look favorable for early planting here this year.  Our wheat just came out of dormancy and there is nothing but small buds on the earliest budding trees!

We've had two nice sunny drying days here but now it's 3 days of rain again.

With inputs being as high as they were when corn was higher priced, we won't see early planting in Ohio in my estimation this year.

Do it once and do it right is a pretty reliable motto to live by.

Ed Winkle

(Wheat and Spraying 2013 016.jpg)

Wheat and Spraying 2013 016.jpg (88KB - 43 downloads)