For the week of April 29th
This is one of the earlier starts to seeding that we have ever had – April 29th! Our normal start dates is usually around May 4th-6th, and have even had a start as late as May 14th about 11 years ago.
Having an earlier start allows us to have a more “relaxed” startup. We can start each unit up independently and have a shorter day – to make sure everything is working properly and check all the setup parameters. Electronics are usually the source of most of our startup problems – today we had a few but overall fairly happy with how the equipment is functioning.
Moisture conditions are decent for now. The seed is being placed into moisture, should have enough to germinate and establish roots. Normally we harrow most of our fields in the spring before we seed – to help spread straw out and also help dry up the field. This year we won’t be doing too much harrowing – once the soil is disturbed the moisture evaporates quickly.
There is a weather event forecast for Wednesday through Thursday. Right now we are on the edge – may not receive much moisture at all. Today was a high of 18C, and by Wednesday the high is forecast at 5C! Some parts of Alberta are forecast to receive significant snow out of this storm….
