Radish Update

We finally had some sunshine yesterday so Phil & I went to check his radishes.

Nina went with us – she loves rides!  First we stopped to feed the gilts at his dad’s barn and Nina was tired of waiting for Phil to get back in the truck.

Phil drilled these into a (previous) wheat field in August.  He had hauled manure on this field and the radishes are great at finding that nitrogen and holding it for next season’s crop.  (So we’ve been told.)

After only going 8 days w/o rain once all year, soon after he planted these radishes, we entered a 3 week stretch without rain.  Personally, most of us were thrilled!  Maybe the radishes weren’t so thrilled and were thirsty.

Not sure if just missing rain but they are VERY green and bushy in the rows where the manure is incorporated.

See how tall the radishes are against Phil’s boot?

He tried to dig one up but couldn’t w/o a shovel or fork.  Next time!

Wishing the radishes had grown well everywhere and snuffed out some horse tail weed.  

When he ran out of radish seed, he finished up the area with clover.  At this point he is pleased with its growth.

Coming to see us is a good ride for JP.  😉  (He isn’t legal for the real roads yet.)

These are some early soybeans that Phil thinks would need a bit more time but will be ready the soonest.

And so the fall farmer ritual…. of trying the beans…. a bite tells you if they are still too chewy or ready to combine.

This answer…. they need a LOT more time!  

He also put radishes along the corn plot where he had wheat.  A few of the companies have put up their signs for each variety.

The farmer’s almanac forecasts 2 light snows in October and a harvest-ending snow by Thanksgiving.   Praying for some more good drying days!  We have a long way to go and haven’t started yet!  (Last year they finished within hours of the big snow.)