Gardeners should be patient, prepared
Gardeners are anxiously waiting to tear open their seed packets.
But Master Gardener Susan Konopacki, president of South Central Wisconsin Master Gardener Association, says to be patient but be prepared, and don't use the extremely early spring weather last year as a guide to when gardens should be started this year.
"Last year things were a foot high. This year we can't see what's coming out of the ground," she said.
"Some cool weather vegetables, like spinach, peas and lettuce, are fine to start early, but most things need warm temperatures," she added.
"When it does happen, it's going to be - boom," she said.
Konopacki said the best news for gardeners is that, following the 2012 drought, the ground water is back to about normal levels.
But she wouldn't be surprised to see a snow flurry or two yet.
"You don't need to go to Vegas to gamble," she said, "All you have to be is a farmer or a gardener."
Green and Lafayette counties are in the 5A hardiness zone, according to the USDA.
The annual SCWMGA Plant Sale will be held 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 4 at the Pleasant View Complex Auditorium, Monroe.
Despite the cold weather, Konopacki said the master gardeners are sure to have their grown-and-raised plants at the sale, featuring a variety of vegetables, annuals, perennials and house plants. Funds raised are used for SCWMGA community projects, including horticulture scholarship awards.
- Tere Dunlap
"Haven't started yet," he said Monday, April 29. "Soil temperature is too cold."
Peggy Klemm, Monroe, said her husband Tom was forced out of the fields again Monday because of rain. "That'll delay us another couple of days," she added.
The 2013 spring rains have brought Green and Lafayette counties out of their 2012 drought, but harvest yields will suffer unless farmers can get their corn into the ground soon. The weather forecast for this week calls for average temperatures but more chance of rain.
The Stephensons were purchasing equipment parts Monday at Washington Implement Company on County N near Monticello. The father-son team was "ready to go" as soon as the conditions allow them into the fields, Chad Stephenson said.
"As soon as the soil warms up, the temperatures warm up and we get some warm rain instead of this cold stuff," he added.
The pair will plant 1,600 acres in about 10 days.
"We use precision equipment, so we can go longer days," Chad Stephenson said. "We have no trouble going all night long."
Chad is in charge of tillage and spraying on the Stephenson Farm. Bruce takes on the task of planting because of "seniority, I guess," Chad laughed.
Chad admits he may consume a lot of coffee and energy drinks to keep going through the long days ahead. Bruce said he'll stick with Pepsi.
The ideal time to plant corn in southern Wisconsin is May 1, according to Mark Mayer, UW-Extension agriculture agent in Green County. After mid-May, for every day planting is delayed corn yields are reduced by two percent, he added.
Chad said he estimates a typical reduction of about a bushel per day, and the fields still have to dry out before they can begin planting.
More warm, dry days are needed to jump-start the state's growing season.
Wisconsin has none of its corn planted, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service crop progress report released April 29 by USDA Agricultural Statistics Board. The five-year average is 12 percent planted by April 28.
Last year at the same time, Wisconsin farmers were ahead of the average, with 16 percent planted, because of the early spring-like weather.
This year has seen a record late start to both spring tillage and oats planting, according to the Wisconsin Crop Report from the USDA NASS, also released April 29.
Statewide, spring tillage was four percent complete as of April 28, compared to 56 percent a year ago and a 36 percent five-year average. This is the lowest percentage complete on this date in the past 30 years of Crop Progress data. The previous record low was 9 percent on April 28, 2011.
Oats were five percent planted. This represents the latest start to oats planting in the past 30 years of Crop Progress data. The previous record low was 7 percent planted on April 28, 1993.
Locally, southwest Wisconsin had 14 percent of its oats planted, while the south central had 18 percent complete.