Laurel Ridge Farm: A Pause in the Rain

Sunday, June 23, 2019

A Pause in the Rain

More than 5" in the gauge when we arrived this week. Once again, the question is whether the fields are dry enough to do anything.

The pumpkin patch had a bloom of weeds/grass even though I tilled it a week ago.

It's late June and I only have about 1/3 of it planted.

And whatever has been previously planted is turning yellow from the water, is surrounded by weeds, or never emerged. Since it was so wet, I decided to let the sun try to dry it for awhile.

Suddenly the clover plots are being overtaken by grass (Johnson grass?).

The powerplant fields also have a bloom of grass. You can see some of the intended species in there.

But on close examination, they've been chomped.

This is the other powerplant plot - went in a week earlier.

Same issue - grass growing unchecked but beans, sunflower and peas all chomped.

The sunflower strip has grass competition and deer pressure.

Blackberries are just starting to ripen.

The wineberries have a ways to go still.

It's so wet, everywhere I go leaves ruts.

Prime time now for antler growth so minerals are important.

The pond is muddy and seems like it is on the verge of an algae bloom.

Butterfly milkweed starting to bloom.

They attract many pollinators but butterflies in particular.

The prairie plot is doing ok.

Growing vigorously with all this rain.

Those are all mini-daisies.

I'm not sure what this is.

Common milkweed also in abundance.

I did a little pruning.

Since the tractor was fixed and I hadn't mowed in weeks, I went out even though it was still quite wet. Can you see the silhouette in the shade ahead?

She's still standing there as I get quite close.

So finally I decide to go do battle in the pumpkin patch. I spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday working on it.

I got some weeded and also planted several more rows. I'm at least half planted now.

In the course of all this running around, I almost lost the case with all my trailcam SD cards. For some reason, I left it on the back like this and drove away. I eventually found it still in the bed under all that junk.