Planting corn in March

 Well I gave into peer preasure and started planting corn Wed. We got 650 acres planted in March. We are at least a month ahead around here, It looks like the middle of May around here, the trees, yards, flowers.  Is everyone else way ahead around the country?

Edited by ILGLEANER - 01 Apr 2012 at 8:49pm

by the calendar it's an early spring this year... but all our wildflowers have been way ahead of that as well.  southern california.

been really early around here also(NWMO) but most have been waiting till april 1st for corn 'cause ins. won't cover replant till after that.

Full month ahead here in St. Louis and in Central MO around the farm.  Not much corn planted yet there but saw some being planted today on the way out of town.  My farming partner says he hears a whole bunch will be planted the next 2 weeks.  I think we'll wait about 10 days to 2 weeks before taking the plunge.  Mike

Wheat and barley going in around here way ahead of usual. Also, as usual, I'm not going yet because I'm still working on my equipment. Corn won't start going in around here until probably at least the 3rd week in April, unless weather patterns are really peculiar. Then in may sunflowers start going in. Sounds like there will be a lot more of them than usual this year. Darrel

i'm with ya Gleaner...gonna plant some today! it was 92 degrees here today, and 91 yesterday! the ole lady...oooops...i mean my loving wife...said she needs her mower goin!!

My buddy and I planted two small patches on St. Patty's day, March 17.  It's up and looking pretty good.  Haven't got the guts to plant the next 1700 acres though.  Will wait until the end of this week.  We're 120 miles north of you.

Two weeks ago I was talking with a crop specialist in NW Ohio and he said that he knew of close to 1000 acres that was in the ground then. I had not seen any here in NC Ohio at that time but typicaly such experiments are carried out where they cant be seen from the main roads, LOL.  First time I have ever cut grass in March and had to do it twice.

Edited by Butch(OH) - 02 Apr 2012 at 9:18am

Cold and wet out west, about 3 weeks behind.

Satellites.  There was an article in one of the farm papers about it.  There are several different companies that can and do monitor and tattle.  My crop insurance agent didnt deny it, and confirmed that the insurance companies have such specific weather monitoring computers, they know if you have a hail claim or not without your reporting it.  I dont really like all eye in the sky stuff like that, or everyone knowing what is going on.  That being said, only one guy I know planted corn before the early plant date here (3-20) and looks like most of it drowned out with the big storm we had last week.  We got 85 acres or so out today, but calling for rain the rest of the week.  

Started oats today. Many ppl are done with oats. We were told for corn insurance that you can plant, but if it freezes they won't cover it unless its been planted after april 10th or whatever the specific date is.

Weather here (fifty miles north of Atlanta airport) is certainly inviting. And soil temperature is 70 degrees.  We are on June 2 garden tour this year, so we have 200 tomato plants ready to be set out.  I am stalling because five years ago we had heavy frost on April 28 & 29. Corrugated "cardboard" boxes were effective, so were drywall goup buckets covered with two throw rugs that made and X; goup buckets alone were not effective.  Plan setting out one row of fifty (maybe two rows) sometime this week; will buy some row cover if weather turns. Will repot the other 100 in larger pots.  Dad occasionally commented that "a farmer was the biggest gambler in the world as he gambled on the weather and on the grain price at harvest time".  Herb