How About Some Rain

[landtracdeerhunter]

July 22 was the last 3/10th rainfall here. Planted a food plot this morning and all I can do is hope for rain. So different than a year ago when all it did was rain here.

[stubborn1VT]

I'm planning on planting a new plot in the morning.  Chance of rain tomorrow afternoon and night.  Then again later in the week.  

Unloaded hay with a buddy last week.  He was closing in on 20,000 bales.  Same time last year he was around 1,500.  One extreme to the other. . .

[WNYBuckHunter]

I was up by our pond this afternoon. It’s down about 4 or 5 inches. With it being our first year here I’m not sure if that’s normal or not. The food plots are nice and damp, should be perfect to till this weekend and get them to germinate. The forecast is showing rain Friday and then next Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully that holds up. 

[landtracdeerhunter]

 No rain again today here.    I just got done reading a "Rain" thread by growalot from 2016. Almost the same exact replay this year here.  Here's hoping August replays out this year to what it did in 16. 

I rain the disc over some June plowed wheat ground today. It's bone dry as deep as the disc dug. Dust in the air on an east wind. 

[wolc123]

We have got about an inch and a half over the last two weeks, on the other side of Tonawanda creek, in zone 9F.  The corn is looking good now and is starting to tassle.  That rain also woke the grass up around the house, so I had to mow it again.  Not needing to mow the lawn is the best thing about a drought.  I cut the white clover plots one last time after the 1" rain on the 25 of July.  Those are also looking good now, especially since the additional 1/2" of rain that we got last Saturday afternoon.   I will not have time to get any turnips in this year, but I do plan on putting in a couple small plots (maybe 1.5 acres total) of wheat/white clover/ soybean mix sometime in September.    The buckwheat is looking real good in those spots now after those couple rains - lots of pretty white flowers.   Hopefully, I get my $30 for that seed back in venison this fall.   I have some leftover clover from last year,  about a bushel of wheat,  and my nephew thinks he can come up with some "free" soybeans.  

52 minutes ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

 No rain again today here.    I just got done reading a "Rain" thread by growalot from 2016. Almost the same exact replay this year here.  Here's hoping August replays out this year to what it did in 16. 

I rain the disc over some June plowed wheat ground today. It's bone dry as deep as the disc dug. Dust in the air on an east wind. 

     

[landtracdeerhunter]

10 hours ago, wolc123 said:

We have got about an inch and a half over the last two weeks, on the other side of Tonawanda creek, in zone 9F.  The corn is looking good now and is starting to tassle.  That rain also woke the grass up around the house, so I had to mow it again.  Not needing to mow the lawn is the best thing about a drought.  I cut the white clover plots one last time after the 1" rain on the 25 of July.  Those are also looking good now, especially since the additional 1/2" of rain that we got last Saturday afternoon.   I will not have time to get any turnips in this year, but I do plan on putting in a couple small plots (maybe 1.5 acres total) of wheat/white clover/ soybean mix sometime in September.    The buckwheat is looking real good in those spots now after those couple rains - lots of pretty white flowers.   Hopefully, I get my $30 for that seed back in venison this fall.   I have some leftover clover from last year,  about a bushel of wheat,  and my nephew thinks he can come up with some "free" soybeans.  

     

 Glad to see things looking up there. Yes the corn looks better, but I can show you fields of no till corn planted on heavy ground that's done. You plant protein and carbs. deer will come, LOL. I was in the Rapids over the weekend for a get together. They got thunder showers we didn't get.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Just finishing up the oat hay Friday, when it turned dark to the west. Got a quick, well deserved inch out of it before the sun came back out. Funny storm; strange movement on these storms this summer. Clouds moving due north with the whole system sliding east. We'll this should help us out with new regrowth in the hay fields and and plantings now in soils or future. Looking greener already. Deer have already food the new protein source

Edited August 4, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[stubborn1VT]

It was finally our turn.  30% chance of isolated showers turned into a quick .75" and still sprinkling.  It rained hard, but not "wash out" hard.  It makes me feel lots better about the rest of the summer.

[wolc123]

On 8/4/2018 at 3:58 PM, stubborn1VT said:

It was finally our turn.  30% chance of isolated showers turned into a quick .75" and still sprinkling.  It rained hard, but not "wash out" hard.  It makes me feel lots better about the rest of the summer.

We only got a few drops from that one.  I am hoping for more now.  I found a small bag of leftover turnip seed down in the basement today.  I used some of our winnings from a bass tournament that we fished yesterday to buy fertilizer.  I managed to get a small plot in on some of the ground that was buckwheat.  I love turnips for ML season.  I worked a lot of 10-10-10 into the ground with the drag prior to broadcasting and cultipacking, so there should be some good growth if we get a little more rain.  They say maybe Tuesday.     

Edited August 6, 2018 by wolc123

[landtracdeerhunter]

In good shape now with the 2 inches we got yesterday Should be good  for the rest of the growing season.. I hope everyone else has got some rain. 

[wolc123]

52 minutes ago, landtracdeerhunter said:

In good shape now with the 2 inches we got yesterday Should be good  for the rest of the growing season.. I hope everyone else has got some rain. 

We also got plenty on this side of Tonawanda creek from that one.  It had to be well over an inch, because our pool overflowed.  I have to get back and see how much it brought our pond level up.  It was down to about 4 feet deep at the end of the this summer's drought a couple weeks ago.  It holds about 8 feet when full.  I dug it 6 foot deep, 25 years ago, and it dried up for the first time, in early October of 2016, after the big drought that year.  The drought that year lasted a lot longer than the one this year. 

I used the opportunity to scrape out all the sediment accumulation and I went a couple feet of deeper into the clay bottom.  I put some fresh Lake Ontario bluegills and largemouth bass in there last fall.  Maybe I will take the kids back and see if we can catch any now that recent rains have given them a bit more room.   The deer sure have been using that pond through the drought based on all the tracks in the mud.  

Hopefully, that last rain gets the turnips I plated last Sunday going good.  My nephew brought me a big bag of leftover soybeans, so I am all set now on seed for a few wheat/soybean/white clover plots.  Those will go in after Labor day on my remaining buckwheat ground.         

[land 1]

well flood watch for down by my camp ive got enough rain shouldnt effect the plots,,, well part of one it will has had standing water in it since the end of july....I guess better the drought but I think the plots would benefit from a week of dry weather

[landtracdeerhunter]

1 hour ago, land 1 said:

well flood watch for down by my camp ive got enough rain shouldnt effect the plots,,, well part of one it will has had standing water in it since the end of july....I guess better the drought but I think the plots would benefit from a week of dry weather

Sounds like you're to wet. Ground moisture is holding it's own here. Nice light rain showers today right into this evening. It amazes me how much water this soil can suck up after a prolong drought. Hope they lift the flood watch for ya.

 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Well, we have gotten, and are still getting a ton of rain lately. My plots are so muddy now, that I dont think Im going to be able to get in there and broadcast my winter rye this weekend. Im gonna need it to dry up a bit first.

[Pygmy]

I have two plots plowed and disced over once, but they need several more passes with the discs before I plant...

The problem is, with almost daily rain, the plots are a quagmire.. If  I  tried to work them now all I would have is a muddy, rutted mess..

I need a few rainless , hopefully breezy days  so I can finish working them up and get some seed in the ground..

The good news is that my clover plot is doing great with all the rain...

[grampy]

Seeded last week. The ground was and is very wet. Already getting some growth. WW, sugar beets, radish, forage oats. Getting pounded with rain again now. Ground has plenty of moisture, could really use a drying out period. 

[dbHunterNY]

42 minutes ago, grampy said:

Seeded last week. The ground was and is very wet. Already getting some growth. WW, sugar beets, radish, forage oats. Getting pounded with rain again now. Ground has plenty of moisture, could really use a drying out period. 

i don't think i've ever seen a plot that flat and i'm not really that far northwest of you!  definitely wet all over here.  pretty much thinking i'm going to have to use the belly mower or brush hog on the tractor to mow anything. even then the ag tires are making a mess.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Hoping for dryer weather for you all. We received a lot of rain Friday night. NWS. posted flood warnings for my area. Not seeing flooding, but some standing water in poor drainage areas. I understand south of me, by only a few miles were hit much harder. Area is relatively flat so we don't get the flash flooding.  

[landtracdeerhunter]

This pic was taken this morning, even after a 2 inch + rainfall of last night. Bond memories of the drought that still are showing on the heavier soils.