Carolina Farmers Continue to Wait on the Weather

The weather is creating havoc on many farms in the Carolinas and Rob Fleming, Scotland Neck, NC farmer is no exception:

“Its been unseasonably cool and wet. Too wet to plant any crops at all.”
 

Fleming says he does a few acres of corn in the ground:
 

“I do have a little bit of silage corn in the ground, its been in one week. And its just started to sprout, its just too cold.”
 

NC State Extension and NCDA area agronomist have been reporting a laundry list of problems with the state’s winter wheat crop, but Fleming says his looks okay:
 

“It really does look ok.”
 

Fleming says he headed off the latest possible fungal attack with a fungicide a couple of weeks ago.
 

When it comes to planting cotton, Fleming says that is on hold too:

“Cotton need soil temperatures to be 65 or better. The soil temp this morning was 58. Our consultant has advised us not to plant anything, to hold off and be ready to go when we can.”
 

Fleming says it’s a distinct possibility they may have to change up some acres but there is a small problem with that:
 

“Unfortunately we have treated so much cotton seed that with it being custom treated, it cannot be returned.”

But when the weather clears and hopefully soil temperatures rise later this week, Fleming says they might be able to get caught up pretty quick:
 

“Its going to take a lot of long days, when its time to go we will have to go just about as hard as we possibly can.”