Planting started last week! None of us saw anything on the way to a conference in Fort Wayne on Tuesday, but on my way to the office on Wednesday, I passed two fields that had been planted. Yeah!! (Yes, I know there were others … and more by now!) I’m 99.9 percent sure those were planted to corn. However, before we know it, soybeans will be going in, too …

Planting Date for soybeans is important: The soil temperature needs to be over 50o (which it is by now in most places). But, planting too late can reduce yield: In studies done by Dr. Laura Lindsey in 2013 and 2014, Soybean Yield decreased by 0.6 bu/ac/day when planted after mid-May. They found that the greatest benefit of planting in early May was canopy closure which increased light interception, improved weed control by shading out weeds, and helped retain soil moisture.

Seeding rates and row spacing were also important in achieving optimum soybean yields. Preliminary results of another two-year study of soybean seeding rates and row spacing showed that fields with between 100,000-140,000 plants per acre at harvest resulted in yields that usually provided the maximum economic return. The study also found that soybeans planted at 7.5- and 15-inch row widths out-yielded soybeans planted at 30-inch row widths. Soybeans planted in the 30-inch rows yielded on average 15 to 20 percent lower than those planted in the narrower rows.

There will be a Strawberry Field Night at the OSU South Centers at Piketon on Wednesday, May 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Field research on plasticulture and matted-row strawberry production will be showcased. Some of the topics to be addressed include winter protection techniques, fertigation and nitrogen management, drip irrigation demonstration and management, pest and disease control, Iintegrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, and evaluations of various cultivars.

The cost for this Field Night is $20 per person and includes dinner (served 5:30 to 6 p.m.) and handouts. The deadline to register is May 23. Send your registration to Carissa Gardner at [email protected] or 740-289-2071, ext. 132. For more information, go to go.osu.edu/strawberryfieldnight2016.

Just a reminder on a couple of other activities: The 2016 Tri-County Pond Clinic will be held on Tuesday, May 3, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Fessler Pond, 1530 S. Forest Hill Road, Troy. This event is free and open for anyone interested in pond construction and maintenance, fish management and vegetation, legal questions for pond owners, and wildlife concerns. Please dress for the weather and bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. More information is available at the Shelby SWCD office: 937-492-6520.

On Monday, May 2, there will be a Gardeners’ Swap & Share at the St. Marys Community Public Library in St. Marys from 7 to 8:30 p.m. There will be a presentation on composting and a craft for kids. This is a great opportunity to swap/share potted seedlings, plant divisions, and gardening stories.

Well, things have been busy here … This week will be even more hectic! But, that’s OK: Field work has begun! Stanley did have our cover crops sprayed last week. I’d like to think we’ll be planting corn by the middle/end of this week, but who knows?! Of course, that means he’d have to do it all by himself … Maybe Saturday would be a better day to shoot for!

The Fuzzy Babies (SirLoin and Happy Meal) are still out on the 10-acre (unsprayed) cover crop field. I’ll have to get electric tape up soon to get them started on the rotation in the “regular” pasture. It’s so good to see “critters” on grass!