As temperatures climb, we need to be more aware of our watering.
In cooler weather, there is less evaporation so the ground holds water a little longer. As it warms, the ground dries quickly then begins to crack. That makes it harder for the roots to move through the ground and establish themselves.
Being careful not to over water is also important.
Too much water and the roots can rot. Or it may prevent the roots from spreading out giving it strength.
Monitoring the ground color helps determine when you should add more or cut back.
It seems like taking care of a field is full-time work.
Are birds eating the seed before it can even germinate?
Is the ground too rough and the heat causes the sprouts to die?
Are the weeds choking out the plants that are coming up?
Even of the plants that sprout, some seem sparse and struggle.
The ground itself needs some care.
I hadn’t considered that the type of dirt in your field also makes a difference. We have clay where we live, my parents have sand, a lot of people in the southeast United States have red clay, and some in the midwest have rich black soil.
Is it important to import tons of dirt or just figure out how to manage your own?
Just because my dirt is different from someone else’s doesn’t mean I need theirs in order to grow a harvest. I just need to reflect and understand my own then make the adjustments that are necessary. It is much cheaper (and easier) to buy an enzyme to break up the clay than it is to have my dirt removed and filled with shipped-in soil.
So how about you?
When the seed lands on your field, do the birds eat it? Does the heat get it? The thorns?
Or does it yield a harvest? If so, is it 30- or 60-fold?
What needs to happen to get to 100-fold?
Is it worth figuring out?
This stuff matters.