March on the Farm

Richard Fonge writes:

March has come in more like a lion, so let us hope it goes out like a lamb with some true spring weather. Lambs are now being seen in the fields up the gated road and of course they have been born to the ewes we have been following since conception last October in the field on the footpath to Stuchbury. All the ewes are marked with a number to correspond with their lambs,making it easier to match up if they get separated or there is a tragedy.It is so important that we all keep to the Countryside Code and keep our dogs on their leads when walking the footpaths where stock are present. Signs are there for a reason and the landowners wishes should be respected.

This is turning out to be a late spring,with the early March snow followed by a period of wet. This means that there is a delay in the sowing of Spring crops and the winter crops that now require some nitrogen to stimulate growth,especially the Oilseed Rape which is beginning to suffer as the ground is too wet for tractors to get on the land.

All crops need the right nutrients to produce to their optimum. Phosphate and potash for root and general development and nitrogen for growth. These are all applied under the recommendation of an agronomist employed by the individual Farmer and after regular monitoring of the soil, through testing. An interesting development since the demise of heavy industry and therefore cleaner air is that there is a lack of Sulphur for our plants,and this is now applied where necessary in an artificial way. Roses for example need spraying for black spot more frequently than they did when there was a more polluted atmosphere.

It looks therefore that there will be more to report on in April, but one thing is certain,nature invariably balances things out.

Richard Fonge.

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