Heavy Frost

There is another heavy frost on the ground this morning.  I wonder how much variation there is from field to field depending on vegetation to limited vegetation or fall plowing?  That would be an interesting study today.

Jules and I have been emailing back and forth about what I have put on already and how it has affected my wheat growth.  Master Mix said they applied 150 lbs of urea on January 26.  We noticed our wheat was thick when we got home but it was very brown.  I assume the new tender leaves have been frosted off as fast as they grow.

My stand was a bit thin in a few places and the urea has seemed to thicken it up as planned.  There was more lush growth on the better stand and it frosted off as fast as it grew.  I can't dig into the ground this morning but I expect if I could, I would find very healthy, thick, roots.  I don't see the burning off of leaf tissue as fast at grows as a bad thing.  Some of the best crops I ever grew were frosted in the early stages/  Frosting causes the plant to work harder to stay alive and that is a good thing until it causes senescence or death.

What I am doing is not exact science.  It seems like the older I get the more I depend on biology instead of some chemistry formulation.  I do think I have my wheat in pretty good shape physically and chemically and the dead radish are giving off some good exudates as they slowly die.  Maybe that is finished and I don't know it.

I feel like I should be sowing a clover or other legume this cold and frosty morning.  The more I plant the more I seem to reap.  I don't own a nice rig for sowing other than the Mule.  It would be a nice project for a grandchild!

I have been watching a few YouTube videos on cover crops this morning.  There are so many of these videos but each one of them makes me think.

I need to get out behind the house and pull some wheat tissue and dig some soil this week.  I know I should be frost seeding a clover right now.

Ed