Drought 2020

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Nitrogen wouldn't be a problem once the sugars are high enough. 24 hour wilt or less in this weather and it's good to go.

You sure? Not much on it anyway and due to cut in 2 weeks. A week early would be no harm so.

Timmaay wrote: »

https://twitter.com/HMably/status/1266693589070950400?s=09

This chap is in Cornwall, let's hope its not a sign of what's to come...

Looks particularly bad compared to the fields in the background. Maybe that’s a sacrifice paddock he’s using to feed them in to save others.

Anywhere here the rock is close to the surface is starting to burn. Nothing growing.

Cut our silage during the week. We are usually one of the later farms in the area but the contractor said we were one of the first. We barely got 60 bales, half of what we usually get. No decent rain in sight here so there was no point holding out for bigger yields when the quality was dropping every day.

Hay is being bailed tomorrow. We've never made hay so early. It's always nice to make hay stress free but looking across the ditch to see grass getting low is a not a good trade.

A few cows came back in heat when they never usually do. A bit worrying but it will just push more calves into May. The poor May grass is certainly to blame.

Biscuitus wrote: »

Cut our silage during the week. We are usually one of the later farms in the area but the contractor said we were one of the first. We barely got 60 bales, half of what we usually get. No decent rain in sight here so there was no point holding out for bigger yields when the quality was dropping every day.

Hay is being bailed tomorrow. We've never made hay so early. It's always nice to make hay stress free but looking across the ditch to see grass getting low is a not a good trade.

A few cows came back in heat when they never usually do. A bit worrying but it will just push more calves into May. The poor May grass is certainly to blame.

Silage was bales yesterday evening as well. Slightly over 7 bales/acre. Cut on Wednesday even and bales at 6 pm yesterday. Bales are so big that the tractor would not lift two together. They are stacked 3 high and stack is about 4 metres high. Grass was just starting to flower.

Knew mine was little light. Old pasture and started seeding. Serious sun and wind yesterday/today. 6 bales to acre.12 last year. hope I not going to be seriously short

_Brian wrote: »

Sure.
I’m thinking Stick a non return valve on the supply from each and they won’t interfere with each other.

yea that was my fear that one would be interfering with the other. Non return valve is probably the way to go

Say my name wrote: »

It raises it up to neutral pH due to increased biology.

Jim Cronin, veg grower from Clare had soil pH down in the 5's. He raised it up in the 6's with silage on the soil.
pH of silage is in the 4's.

Think I posted sometime in the past that fellows I knew were struggling to make a living off 200 acres plus and a guy I know is making a comfortable living off a small plot. Jim was the guy I was alluding to.

One sound bloke.

Cleaned off 2 fields with the topper on Thursday evening. Rock appearing in spots again that I saw for the first time in 2018.
Still have bales that were made in 2018. Baled that June almost haylage so very good quality. Put em up on DD about 6/7 weeks ago at very handy money to see would I shift em. Had one lad that wanted em but wanted to leave em here until the winter which wouldn't have worked as I want the slab they're on for this year's bales.
Looking like it could be a good thing I didn't sell them. Reckon I'll be feeding them in a fortnight's time.
Cattle doing a great thrive though at the moment.
Contractor booked for middle of the week. Crop looking light.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Silage was bales yesterday evening as well. Slightly over 7 bales/acre. Cut on Wednesday even and bales at 6 pm yesterday. Bales are so big that the tractor would not lift two together. They are stacked 3 high and stack is about 4 metres high. Grass was just starting to flower.

Whatever's in the bales now at least it's pure grass and no water.

Cut Friday here and baled yesterday.
11 bales/acre where it wasn't grazed. 10 bales where it was.
Both got 60 units Nitrogen.

Purple wrap was used where the money goes to Crumlin Children's Hospital.
Easy wrap on the baler wrapper and easy on the eyes when moving with the loader.

Have a field that I was able skip in grazing rotation that's got 20 units N. Will go with seaweed coated CAN 27 units and cut hopefully in a fortnight.

11 acres will be let up for a 2nd cut.

Personally I'm a hell of a lot better than this time 2018 with the same stock and same acreage.

YFlyer wrote: »

Must be great drying for hay and turf.

I was near the bog yesterday working and the amount of hay made around is unreal, made in land you couldn't travel a lot of years, i was talking to one man in his 70s he can't remember a spell of weather like this since he was a young man, men like him have awful heavy land and this spell of weather is suiting them, he said he could do another month without rain and it wouldnt matter to him, this weather isn't suiting everyone but working to others benefit not having to be pulling tractors out of soft holes all summer

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Does he think he was young in 2018....

Ill ask him Tuesday to clarify what he meant

jaymla627 wrote: »

Doesn’t seem to be much agreement with his take on it for June by other posters on weather forum ....
He isn’t putting in half the effort as previous years with his analysis and is more wrong then right the last few months following his daily forecasts

I followed his forecasts closely one summer a few years ago, they were a pile of crap.

Reggie. wrote: »

I think that's all forecasts really. Very hard to predict

I wouldn't be surprised if the rain keeps getting pushed out for a while yet. Rain was forecast a week away for a good few weeks in 2018

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if the rain keeps getting pushed out for a while yet. Rain was forecast a week away for a good few weeks in 2018

In 2018, Thursday was rain day every week and it never came.

Gods Gift wrote: »

Spring barley sown here the 10 of April and it’s starting to shoot out. Finished growing and about 10 inches high. €40 for a 4 by 4 chopped bale for the diet feeder lads sounds reasonable I thinks.
Winter oats looks fantastic.

Spring cereals will be atlesast 1/4 back on average, everuthing has gone to head and given that there's not many great winter crops if at all when add in all the wet corners and crap headlands....