Interested in a lawn, garden workshop this spring?
The “Official” 30-day weather forecast from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, issued Dec. 21, is “leaning” to above normal temperatures and “leaning” to drier than normal precipitation.
From Nov. 1 through Dec. 26, at the MSU Enviroweather station at Applewood Orchards, Deerfield, there have been 19 days of measurable precipitation, but only totaling 1.99 inches. The minimum soil temperature, taken at the two-inch level, under bare soil, had not gone below 32 degrees, with the lowest reading at 34.4 degrees on Dec. 14. The lowest high air temperature was 27.8 degrees on Nov. 28, with only six days of nighttime low temperatures in the teens, the lowest being 13.4 degrees on Nov. 29. Even on that date, the soil temperature was a “balmy” 35.2 degrees.
Even though the days are now just past the shortest of the year, the normal winter low temperature usually comes about the third week of January, for the same reason as the soil warms and cools down differently/slower/later than the air temperature.
Coming off several La Niña events prior to this winter, now farmers can expect the opposite weather pattern, not just for the winter, but for early spring 2024, as well. Through November 2023, the National Weather Service Climate Predication Center expects that El Niño pressures will persist across the Northern Hemisphere through the remainder of winter, with a 62 percent change that El Niño will last April through June. El Niño events typically reach their peak severity during October through February. For the upper midwest, including Michigan, we are likely to see warmer than average winter temperatures and could see a drier than normal winter.
Winter wheat has not gone dormant yet and is still green and growing as per the air and soil temperature discussion above. The Michigan Wheat 12th annual grower meeting is set for Feb. 21 at the Eagle Eye Conference Center, 15500 Chandler Road, Bath. The meeting will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s free of charge, but registration is required for lunch count and materials. To register, call 888-943-2801. Topics include; update at MDARD, new varieties and the marketplace and high-yielding wheat.
The Michigan Wheat Program website underwent a major overhaul in 2023, with lots or wheat research results now online. One example is a research tab, reorganized into 16 areas, including weeds, fertility, disease management, containing 70 final or interim research reports altogether, some with PowerPoints included. At the bottom of the home page are links to partners, social media and a sign-up for the free monthly Wheat Wisdom e-newsletter and the traditional contact information for the Michigan Wheat Program. PS: Michigan has more than 8,000 farmers who grow soft red or soft white winter wheat.
Tenth Great Lakes Crops Summit will be held Jan. 24-25 at the Soaring Eagle Resort, Mount Pleasant. There are keynote speakers and 28 break-out sessions, including mycotoxin management, 2024 Farm Economic Preview, crop insurance, soil compaction, fertilizer market update and climate trends. The early registration discount ends on Jan. 8, and lodging is not included in the registration fee. For registration information, contact Tera Havard of the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan at 517-668-2676 or email corninfo@micorn.org.
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“The gardening catalogs are coming” might be something Paul Revere would shout if he were alive today. With higher prices due to inflation, home gardening can be great exercise that provides in edible results. The photos always look so good, but I don’t order anything that I can easily get from the local farmers markets, instead focusing on specific fruit and vegetable varieties and herbs that I particularly enjoy or want to try. This should also include flowers that can serve as pollinators and then cut for the dining room table. Years ago, we had a very successful annual early spring lawn and garden workshop at the community college in Danville, Illinois. Perhaps we can work on something for late February or early March at the Monroe County Community College?
— Ned Birkey is an MSU Extension educator emeritus and a regular contributor to The Monroe News.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Interested in a lawn, garden workshop this spring?
