First Flowers

We noticed our first flowers of summer a week early this week. That is if you go by the calendar which isn't very accurate some years, years like this one.

The first soybeans are flowering, the lillies opened up, the hydrangeas are flowering and the second planting of sweet corn is flowering. These are all heat and light dependent, some more one way than the other.

My goal was to have soybeans in flower by the summer solstice like I talked about at the National NoTillage Conference in January. The teacher ought to practice what he preaches, you know. I did it! One grain buyer said that is nothing short of amazing.

The best thing is the tissue test came back very good as I reported this week. They are a little low in copper and copper gives stalk strength.


Micronutrients
Boron (B)
Helps in the use of nutrients and regulates other nutrients.
Aids production of sugar and carbohydrates.
Essential for seed and fruit development.
Sources of boron are organic matter and borax
Copper (Cu)
Important for reproductive growth.
Aids in root metabolism and helps in the utilization of proteins.
Chloride (Cl)
Aids plant metabolism.
Chloride is found in the soil.
Iron (Fe)
Essential for formation of chlorophyll.
Sources of iron are the soil, iron sulfate, iron chelate.
Manganese (Mn)
Functions with enzyme systems involved in breakdown of carbohydrates, and nitrogen metabolism.
Soil is a source of manganese.
Molybdenum (Mo)
Helps in the use of nitrogen
Soil is a source of molybdenum.
Zinc (Zn)
Essential for the transformation of carbohydrates.
Regulates consumption of sugars.
Part of the enzyme systems which regulate plant growth.
Sources of zinc are soil, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, zinc chelate.

Many farmers and gardeners don't pay much attention to these. I do. This is why MiracleGro fertilizer sells so well. It has a little of these in them but these nutrients are VERY expensive in this package. They are handy to apply this way and you use so little many people use this fertilizer.

It would cost a farmer many hundreds of dollars to feed his crop this way. You can do it much cheaper buying in bulk. I told one farmer he needed Boron and he wondered what it was and what it cost. It was going to cost him $8 per acre to add it to his mix. When I told him he would pick up at least 5 bushels of grain on his yield he thought it was cheap fertilizer. I notice his crops have really good color this summer.

We went for ice cream last night with Sable and the crops are all over the board around here from little to big and from good to poor. It is going to be an interesting harvest and it will be here before you know it.

I hope my neighbors have lots of visitors at their Summer Solstice Festival this weekend. They have a nice video of our area on their website.

The longest day of the year is almost here and the flowers show it.

Ed