Wheat Update

The lack of rain since planting winter wheat has been unnerving.  The soil is completely dry and there has been no measurable precipitation in almost three weeks.  I checked the Spring Street field today and I was relieved to find that the seed is in good condition below the surface.  However, I'll feel a lot better once we get normal rainfall again and seasonal conditions.

Spring Street on October 2, two weeks after drilling. I've never had to wait this long!

I have watered the test plot a couple of times now.  Germination is normal for these archived seed samples.  It's interesting to see that both Wisconsin No 2 and Vavilov Turkey Red are germinating slower than the Ehmke Turkey.  The difference is hard to see in a photo but it's clear to see in person.

This is a backup Wisconsin No. 2 planting.  Since I did not put all of my seed in the ground at Spring Street, and because the lack of rain is unnerving me, I drilled another 6.8 oz into this area 8.5' x 19'.  If for some reason the Spring Street planting is a failure, I can at least expect to harvest 4-8 lbs of seed from here to plant in 2018.  I will water this as needed.