Started Planting This Morning April 23, 2018
Trent Brandenburg started planting corn this morning, April 23, 2018. The chilly, wet weather so far this month caused some concern about late planting. Trent usually begins planting corn April 20 if conditions permit, so he does not think he is very late. “It’s hit and miss,” Trent said, referring to the readiness of various fields for planting.
“Nothing is bone dry,” he continued, “but some fields are dry enough to work, so we will do those until the others dry out,” Trent noted that the cloudy days and cool nights don’t do much drying of topsoil. He said the new average planting date is earlier than the old average planting date. Trent was happy to be planting corn first, rather than soybeans first like last year.
More from The Field Report
From Drought To Ponding And Replanting
In barely months, Trent's challenges have gone from extreme drought to repeated ponding and replanting. Trent has replanted some corn and soybeans twice, only to have the ponding return yet again. "I don't think I will try to replant corn [...]
Corn And Soybean Planting Done, Some Germinated, More To Come
Trent Brandenburg is happy to have completed his corn and soybean planting by the 15th of May. "It's slow," he said, commenting on the germination delay by the recent cool temperatures. Moderately heavy rains the last few days have caused [...]
Worked Some Fields, With A Sunny Day Could Begin Planting
Trent Brandenburg has "worked a couple of fields, they're barely ready" after several days of rain last week. "If we get a sunny day tomorrow I could plant some," Trent continued. The long-standing extreme drought in central Illinois has been [...]