Snow Behind Us.

     Northern Maine Bulls Eye Receives 140” of Winter Snow.  Recent late Spring snows in Colorado, New Mexico and the Midwest have proved just how fickle May can be.  While May snow in Maine is rare, we still clearly remember 1991 as the year when we received 4” of snow on May 23 – back when Springs were early and after we had finished planting our potato crop.  Our old-timer neighbors who had experienced this snow occurrence before, taught us that snow covering a planted potato field was in reality, ‘poor man’s fertilizer.’  They were right.  Translated, we believe the coating of slow-melting-snow conserves every last drop of water and in doing so serves to encourage the potato plants to increase ‘tuber set’ (the number of tubers per hill).  A ‘high set’ is always the foundation of a bin-busting crop. 

    In Maine it's a late Spring by every measure.  Seven days ago, the soil dried enough so we could first begin to work our fields.  We’ve now planted our Roblin Milling Wheat and our Hull-less Oats.  Also planted yesterday was our crop of red and yellow onions from transplants.

    The soil has been cold and behind schedule.  Just yesterday the morning soil temperature hit 45ºF for the first time this year.  With several days worth of showers in the forecast, we’re expecting we’ll be able to begin planting potatoes late next week after it dries out and the soil warms up some more.  Again this year, as for the past fifteen years, one of the safest bets around is that come Memorial Day weekend we’ll be in the field planting our potatoes.

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