Central Michigan had another solid week of planting progress this week.
Posted on June 11, 2014 by Fred Springborn, Michigan State University Extension
Weather
More sunshine and warm temperatures for this week as planting progress is by and large back to normal levels for this the second week of June. Rain showers on Sunday, June 8, produced very little rainfall with only a few hundredths of an inch observed over much of the area. More significant rainfall occurred early this morning, Wednesday, June 11, with many areas receiving 0.25 to 0.5 inches. At Entrican, Michigan, air temperatures have ranged from the mid-70s to mid-80s for highs with nighttime lows dipping into the mid-40s to mid-50s for the week. Low soil temperatures are in the mid-60s at a 2-inch depth.
Potato planting is complete or winding down on most farms. Growth stages are variable with cultivation beginning on early planted fields and many fields just emerging. Colorado potato beetles can be found on volunteer potatoes and a few commercial fields. Michigan State University Extension reports that volunteer potatoes continue to emerge in rotation crop fields and rock or cull piles.
Pickling cucumber planting is progressing in Gratiot and Montcalm counties with early planted fields emerging.
Sweet corn planting continues. Early planted fields without plastic are V6-V7. Little black cutworm larval injury has been observed so far, but growers should continue to scout fields for this and other early season pests. We caught a few more moths this week in the Montcalm County traps, but numbers have not been as high as those reported in Indiana. There have been a few cases of stand loss in sweet corn and commercial grain corn to white grubs, which are likely Japanese beetle larvae.
Market gardens are progressing with most producers finishing up transplanting of tomatoes and other cold sensitive crops. There were several reports and observations of wind damage to young plants from the high winds June 3.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.cnchemicals.com/. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://www.cnchemicals.com/, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
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