Seeding canola

[tstep]

Just finished the wheat and now canola. Here in the west central part of sask with NO rain, do I wait to seed or put it in dust and hope for a rain.

[WiltonRanch]

Catch 22 you're in. I'm just about the same here. Still enough moisture to germinate it so not as bad yet but a couple windy days and it'll get dry. We're in clay loam so moisture holding capacity is a bit better and being farther north our evaporation loss isn't maybe as high but just the same if that clay gets a bit baked it can get cloddy and hard to attain reasonable seed to soil contact. I'm plugging in the clay ground first while moisture is still there and doing the more loamy stuff after. Bloody cutworms are out with a vengeance. Its getting to that point where either you put in the canola or do something else. You can put it in dust and hope may long it rains or go deeper and hope the bugs don't cut it off at the knees coming up.

[fjlip]

Rain forecast Sunday, most of Sask. Had rain and top is drying FAST. Seed deep enough...

[farmaholic]

Man do I feel your pain! We were lucky enough to get between 7 and 8 tenths that made the decision your facing much easier or a no brainer. After the rain we seeded canola into flax stubble that would have been a complete clusterf@ck otherwiae. Maybe this week end tstep. Good luck!

[furrowtickler]

Word is a lot of canola around here sitting in dry dirt . Some of the typical 1/2 in seeding depths were drying out in 3-4 days . Rain is needed soon for sure.

[tstep]

Guys around have put some in and it is just sitting in dry ground. Is my thinking wrong by leaving it in the bag until conditions are better? Costs of this canola are to high to rely on hope and prayer.

[farmaholic]

tstep, it was the same here. Some seeded it waiting for rain. I waited for it to rain first. I thought I could always put a crop in you can seed deeper to moisture and still have it come up but once the canola is seeded you are kinda committed to waitiing for rain.....

I think there is still some time(May17 today) But as we wait the ground will likely continue to get drier, even for the deep seeded crops.

Shitty dilemma!!!!!!!!!!!

[fjlip]

So it rained, but packing must seal in shallow seeds, or wind dries out to seed depth. Wet sticky, some lumps and seal is NOT perfect. Still need a saving shower 3/10" min to meet moisture...coming Sunday!