All we?ve gotten so far in April was eight-tenths and fourth-tenths. We?re a little on the dry side compared to last year and drier than other parts of the state. We have not been out in the fields, but the neighbors started today putting ammonia on. We are going to get started spraying soon hopefully. We are getting nervous about the weeds in the field. They are getting pretty green and purple ? the purple deadnettle is getting bad. Once we spray we?ll be ready to get planting.
The last week of April we?ll plan on starting corn and then a week or two later we?ll start beans depending on what the weather does. We?ll try to get the burndown on the beans before we plant the corn or during corn planting. After my grandpa starts planting corn I?ll start spraying the corn right behind him. Then we both do the planting. I plant the beans and he plants the corn. We are hoping to get the beans in a little sooner this year than we did in the cool, wet conditions last year. We try to get started with the corn by the end of April. We usually don?t like to plant beans before the fifth or tenth of May.
We have been all no-till since 2000. If we work the dirt and it rains, it will wash away, especially on our hillier ground. The corn does pretty well in no-till. We have spiked wheels on the planter on one side and that works the ground enough that the corn is up in three to five days if the weather cooperates.
It has been a lot warmer than last year so far. We have real concerns about crop prices they are not good at all.
