MONROE - The weather so far has been a tad bit too cold for farmers to hit the fields in earnest. But that'll change soon.
And homeowners with evergreens might want to wait for new buds to appear before lobbing off winter-damaged limbs.
Spring is about to break open fields and gardens.
The rain last week helped lift the remaining frost out of the ground, indicated by the mass exodus of worms to the soil surface, much to the robins' delight, according to Mark Mayer, Green County's UW-Extension agriculture agent.
However, "there's no need to be in panic mode" to get the corn in the ground, Mayer said. Warmer temperatures and rain are in the forecast.
Soil temperatures at two inches deep need to be above 50 degrees for corn to germinate, and as of Wednesday, April 16, the average temperature was only 42 degrees, he said.
Last week, temperatures on average ranged between 37 and 50 degrees. Soil temperatures can also fluctuate by as much as 10 degrees from one day to the next and even daily, he added.
Because corn and soybeans make up the bulk of Green County crops, many farmers are biding time by hauling manure to fields until planting begins.
But farmers are not way behind in their field work, according to Mayer.
This year, they are about on average with, or a just a little behind, the five-year average. That five-year average includes the drastically early spring of 2012, just before the summer of drought that ravaged the country, particularly the midsection. That year, oats and alfalfa were in by the end of March, Mayer recalled.
Oats and alfalfa this year are about one-third done, and corn and soybeans have yet to be started, Mayer said. Some farmers had their oats in last week before the rains came, which gave the seed a good start.
"What came through (the winter) well, despite the temperatures, were alfalfa and winter wheat," Mayer said. Those crops even survived the cold on Monday night, April 14, he noted.
But they can still be harmed after breaking dormancy, with a sudden temperature dip, he cautioned. The last frost date for the area is May 5.
Because of the long frost, pastureland grasses are greening up slower than the five-year average, Mayer said.
The USDA Wisconsin crop progress report, released Monday, April 14, reported, as of April 13, spring tillage was 1 percent complete statewide, compared to zero percent last year and a five-year average of 8 percent.
Mayer expects planting will get under way next week, with the major bulk of it happening in the last week of April and first two weeks of May.
Large farm equipment - which drivers should be alert for on the roads - will help farmers make short work out of the planting. The soil just needs to dry out and warm up.
"But the rain (last week) was really nice, not a downpour," Mayer said. With the frost out of the ground, the gentle rain had a better chance to recharge the subsoil.
While the top soil needs to dry out, the subsoil is still short, Mayer pointed out.
The USDA report showed the subsoil moisture conditions in the south central district, which includes Green County, at 72 percent adequate and 15 percent short last week.
The southwestern district, which includes Lafayette County, was a little worse off, with 66 percent adequate subsoil moisture, and 23 short.
But conditions in the southwest district had actually improved from the previous week, while the south central had deteriorated slightly.
Very short and surplus conditions were in the single digits for both districts.
Fruit trees look as if they have survived the winter, Mayer said.
But the cold winter temperatures, wind and deep frost probably caused damage to homeowners' yews and dwarf junipers, particularly on their south-facing sides, he added.
These evergreen-type plants respire and give off moisture even in the winter months, which, in some cases, led to plants drying out, turning brown and losing needles in spots.
Cases of winter burn, as the condition is called, are the worst Mayer has seen in 30 years, he said.
But he cautioned the owners not to panic with trimming or replacing too soon.
"They could see some new buds starting on the inside. They should just water and fertilizer and take care of them," Mayer said. "It should be interesting in mid-May to see what comes back."
And homeowners with evergreens might want to wait for new buds to appear before lobbing off winter-damaged limbs.
Spring is about to break open fields and gardens.
The rain last week helped lift the remaining frost out of the ground, indicated by the mass exodus of worms to the soil surface, much to the robins' delight, according to Mark Mayer, Green County's UW-Extension agriculture agent.
However, "there's no need to be in panic mode" to get the corn in the ground, Mayer said. Warmer temperatures and rain are in the forecast.
Soil temperatures at two inches deep need to be above 50 degrees for corn to germinate, and as of Wednesday, April 16, the average temperature was only 42 degrees, he said.
Last week, temperatures on average ranged between 37 and 50 degrees. Soil temperatures can also fluctuate by as much as 10 degrees from one day to the next and even daily, he added.
Because corn and soybeans make up the bulk of Green County crops, many farmers are biding time by hauling manure to fields until planting begins.
But farmers are not way behind in their field work, according to Mayer.
This year, they are about on average with, or a just a little behind, the five-year average. That five-year average includes the drastically early spring of 2012, just before the summer of drought that ravaged the country, particularly the midsection. That year, oats and alfalfa were in by the end of March, Mayer recalled.
Oats and alfalfa this year are about one-third done, and corn and soybeans have yet to be started, Mayer said. Some farmers had their oats in last week before the rains came, which gave the seed a good start.
"What came through (the winter) well, despite the temperatures, were alfalfa and winter wheat," Mayer said. Those crops even survived the cold on Monday night, April 14, he noted.
But they can still be harmed after breaking dormancy, with a sudden temperature dip, he cautioned. The last frost date for the area is May 5.
Because of the long frost, pastureland grasses are greening up slower than the five-year average, Mayer said.
The USDA Wisconsin crop progress report, released Monday, April 14, reported, as of April 13, spring tillage was 1 percent complete statewide, compared to zero percent last year and a five-year average of 8 percent.
Mayer expects planting will get under way next week, with the major bulk of it happening in the last week of April and first two weeks of May.
Large farm equipment - which drivers should be alert for on the roads - will help farmers make short work out of the planting. The soil just needs to dry out and warm up.
"But the rain (last week) was really nice, not a downpour," Mayer said. With the frost out of the ground, the gentle rain had a better chance to recharge the subsoil.
While the top soil needs to dry out, the subsoil is still short, Mayer pointed out.
The USDA report showed the subsoil moisture conditions in the south central district, which includes Green County, at 72 percent adequate and 15 percent short last week.
The southwestern district, which includes Lafayette County, was a little worse off, with 66 percent adequate subsoil moisture, and 23 short.
But conditions in the southwest district had actually improved from the previous week, while the south central had deteriorated slightly.
Very short and surplus conditions were in the single digits for both districts.
Fruit trees look as if they have survived the winter, Mayer said.
But the cold winter temperatures, wind and deep frost probably caused damage to homeowners' yews and dwarf junipers, particularly on their south-facing sides, he added.
These evergreen-type plants respire and give off moisture even in the winter months, which, in some cases, led to plants drying out, turning brown and losing needles in spots.
Cases of winter burn, as the condition is called, are the worst Mayer has seen in 30 years, he said.
But he cautioned the owners not to panic with trimming or replacing too soon.
"They could see some new buds starting on the inside. They should just water and fertilizer and take care of them," Mayer said. "It should be interesting in mid-May to see what comes back."