Not Even Damp

FTLComm - Tisdale - Monday, April 22, 2002

This morning with the temperature up to 10ºC and a 12 knot breeze from the South I walked out to a field beside the West side of town to see just what sort of soil conditions are present. I walked across a grassed field without touching anything that would resemble damp soil and this little ditch is still trickling some water from the West. I was surprised to see no evidence of even weed growth let alone some green sprigs of grass. One condition that is hard to quite

understand is that with things so dry in the fall the ground did not freeze over the winter and no doubt this will have some affects on roots. I walked across this field that had been in wheat last summer and canola the summer before and dry shoes all the way. As things warm up and the wind blows this ground will rapidly warm up and be ready to support growth. The trash cover on the soil will support germination. The little fringe of snow above is all that is left of the winter and it is accompanied by a few puddles along this the lea side of the railroad track. I expect seeding operations to begin almost within days provided the night time temperature remains above freezing. Farmers will want to take advantage of what little moisture is in the soil before the wind and sun wick it away.