FARM FOCUS | ROSEMARY'S FARMING DIARY
Rosemary’s
FARMING Diary
I cannot remember there being such a transformation of the countryside on the scale as was seen in the first week of June. After the very cold weather frosts included, we encountered in April and May with gardens and fields being adversely affected by the intense cold weather we were all pleased to see much warmer weather and some much welcome rain with water running down the potato and sugar beet rows. The old country saying ‘a cold, wet May brings plenty of corn and hay’ certainly looks more likely. The extreme heat at the end of May and the first and second week of June coupled with about half, to an inch, of rain dependant on location on 4 June, have seen crops respond beyond all imagination. We are now in the middle of June when most crops are showing their yield potential/ 36
vil agetribune
They all need some more rainfall to keep them going, otherwise they will be ripening prematurely when quality and yield can both be affected. So, until all is safely harvested everything depends on the weather, the farmer and grower have done all he/she can to get the best results. All cereal crops are now well out in ear with about five weeks to harvesting on the lighter soil. The oil seed rape crop is slightly before in about four
weeks’ time. The sugar beet crop will just about meet in the rows by the longest day which is an indication of a good crop to harvest in late September. Last year’s grain is being very difficult to move, buyers are living hand to mouth in spite of trying to get the grain stores empty for cleaning and any repairs, we are unable to get the job completed. Looking back it appears to have been a year when
