Yeah, we are having more rain than normal but last summer/fall we were begging for it. We had maybe, being generous, an inch of rain from late July through the middle of September.

Mike

Lots of rain here but not the flooding you are getting. I have strawberries coming in 10 days and a CSA starting in 4 weeks with next to nothing planted in the fields due to a lot of wet. But we will get there.

May have to put up hoop houses over the wet ground in order to dry it out some. we will go without tilling if need be and do a lot of hoeing after things go in. have had to do that before in really wet conditions.

We've had alot of rain, also. My ground is sloped, but not enough to cause many problems. We need to watch our small creek at the bottom, we have had it flood over our drive and caused trouble. Since then we've added alot more gravel and it seemed to take care of that problem. Now we going thru the 'wish it would dry out and warm up' stage so that we can get into the ground to plant.

I didn't plant my strawberries immediately when I received them, it was July, and a couple of weeks didn't caused any problems. I've also seen bareroots put in pots to carry over when needed.

Marla

After seeing the tsunami in Japan today I feel a little foolish complaining about rain.

We've had 2 days of dry and then 1 of rain for the last week or so. Now it's temps of 60s for the rest of this week, with a couple of days of rain. Next week, forecasts of temps of 40s and 50s after next Tuesday and another 2 inches of rain.

Just as the ground starts to dry out, it rains again. I know it's spring weather, but PLEASE let me get some groundwork done. Maybe alittle planting, PLEASE.

Marla

I hear ya, Marla. I just hope it's not four years in a row. I'm sitting on 150 lbs of potatoes, 4,000 onions, ten lbs of shallots, 250 strawberries, and 300 red raspberries. I lost that many raspberries to drowning last year. I did manage to get in my new currants and gooseberries and a few black raspberries, but then it SNOWED Monday. It didn't do anything here at home, so I picked up nearly a ton of lime to spread. Got to the farm and discovered a swamp. Ended up spreading that load by hand.

Went down again last night to talk to my new beekeeper and was pleased to see the farm missed much of the later rain. If we can squeak by the slight chance of rain tomorrow, we just might be able to get some stuff in this weekend. It's finally supposed to be nice temperature wise for a while. I've also got tons of orchard work to do, but that will just have to wait till plants get in the ground. Asparagus should be emerging soon. Rhubarb is up!!!

Brook

Same thing here. Before it can dry out it rains again.
I did uncover my strawberries yesterday. The two sunny days and warm nights made them look better already. Will put the straw back on before below freezing temps Wed. night.Don't really need to until they have blooms, but I like to keep them covered until warm days are here to stay.

We weren't able to cover our strawberries last fall/winter and they are trying to 'wake up' and it looks like we were lucky not to lose any.

James was able to disc some the other day, then to find out that his tractor's starter needs work, it's sticking.
He did get quite a bit disced, I'm not sure if it's ready to plant ready or not. Of course, we got some more rain last night. Not sure how much, since I haven't been outside yet today.

Marla

Just read the forecast and they are calling for snow. I'M READY FOR SPRING.

We managed to get in all the raspberries and the shallots. Having some tractor trouble too, so I've got to take time off and change some filters. We lucked out and missed the rain, so I hope to get all the onions and potatoes in by the end of the week. I direct sow everything (no greenhouse)and have nothing planted. I saw the extended forecast and decided to wait. I would rather wait than have to replant.

Brook

I took an old deep box and planted some potatoes, they're now coming up. I also planted some onion sets in a grape tote, plastic with holes, they're also coming up. Both are in the 10x20 greenhouse, no heat. Next year, I'll try them earlier.

Marla

Well, it finally stopped raining....now it's snowing

We supposedly got that yesterday, but I didn't see any on the ground. It's cold and windy, but no rain at this time. The ground is close to being dry enough, now the tractor's water pump went out. It's always something.

Marla

I know where your comming from Marla - finally dry enough to turn dirt here and almost as soon as I got started plowing the old JD quit moving. Turned out to be a linkage pin in the hydrostat which was no big deal but required tearing all kinds of peices off to determine that. Got the plowing all done, put the disk on for about a dozen passes and broke a stearing ball joint. Grr. Only consolation is the ground was just about perfect to work (except for a couple of low places). Going to have to go to the JD dealer in the AM to get a new one - I just know that Dad is going to be burning up the phones this week to get his ground worked. Atleast we are ahead of where we were at this time lastyear.

Tom

Neighboring friend loaned us a 2 bottom plow, it hadn't been used for YEARS. Rust, rust and more rust. Tried it out tonight on son's tractor and it worked just fine. Of course, after it shines up soon, it will work even better.

So far, we've picked up 4 grain wagons of horse poo from another neighbor, only about 1/4-1/3 of the pile. I counted the JD's bucket to fill the wagons, each wagon held between 7-8 full buckets. Everytime we go to get some, we blow out another tire. Well, I guess, we're finishing off those tires. Who knows how old they were.

Marla

One thousand strawberries arrived yesterday. The ground is still to wet to work. I have them in the basement. It's cool down there. Our neighbors own a bulk food store and said we could store them in their cooler if we need to. The forecast is sunny beginning next Wednesday. If it stays dry long enough I can get started, if not I might have to accept their offer.
Raked the straw off last years planting today. May as well let the sun get to them. It comes in and out during the day. There's only 300 there.

we could use some more rain. Did get 300 seascape strawberries in the ground before we got about a day of on and off light rain (perfect for watering the new transplants). And the lack of rain has made it easy to get beds ready to plant and than planted but with so little rain we could be facing problems later this month and into May, June, etc., etc..

It's rained every day or two this month. I did manage to get 250 strawberries in the ground, but the ground was even a little wet then. The other 750 are "heeled in" and may last two more weeks.
The forecast is for 5 inches of rain in the next five days. Then it will take a least a week for that to dry out.
My corn seed is setting on my desk. Nothing I can do. Just have to wait, hope and pray. I hope some of you are having better luck.

Nope, just the same here. Rain, rain and more rain. We have been able to get some cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce and summer squash in. The summer squash hasn't come up, it may have rotted. Other things are up, barely above the mud.

Marla

Same here. While I have quite a lot planted, nothing is growing. It's been cold, rainy, and cloudy. We've had hail and wind with our storms. I'd say about half of our potatoes are up, and the alliums look pretty good. Lettuce and radishes just aren't growing. I only have one bed worked up, and the other five are growing a healthy crop of weeds. I will have to do something before I take the tractor to it. Even the asparagus isn't growing. Normally this time of year it explodes with growth. I think it's afraid.

Brook

Wettest April ever in Cincy - by two inches! And it is suppose to rain about five more days this week. A distinct possibility it may be the wettest month ever - currently it is third. If it rains 1.9" more, we will have the record. But the first and second places were due in large part to a huge rainfall in the course of a day or two, whereas this month it has been more of an everyday type of thing.

Mike

Mike, it looks, from here, that you will make the record. Sorry.

Our weatherman just said that once we get into early May, it should dry out and have warmer weather. If we can just wait that long.

Marla

Mike

I live on the other side of the state.Some of the rain we were supposed to get will miss us, but not you.
Oh well, Marla said it should it dry in May. I hope that extends to us.

Marla and Churchmouse,

The law of averages. Over the next 12-24 months, we will get an expected amount of total precipitation. Last year was an example - we were way over average heading into July and way under average by November.

Just so it doesn't go too long between rains this spring/summer/fall.

Mike