While the calendar may be telling growers it’s time to plant vegetables across the Columbia Basin, Mother Nature is telling one potato researcher otherwise.
Washington State University commercial vegetable specialist Tim Waters says the wet winter in the Tri-Cities area of southeastern Washington is presenting challenging soil conditions for growers and that they should delay their planting.
One potato grower near Pasco is already making adjustments.
“We’re waiting for the soil temperatures to get up a little higher—around 45 degrees—and we want them to dry out just a little bit more before we plant,” says Derek Davenport. “It is delaying our planting just a little bit. We’re delayed by a week I think at the moment.
“We have very wet and cool soils, so that presents some issues for growers,” says Waters. “Anytime it takes the plant longer to get out of the ground, the plants are susceptible to more soil-borne diseases, to bacteria in the soil, and insects that are going to attack them before they get out of the ground.”
Waters also says it’s best for growers to start planting in the driest areas of their farms first and to wait until soil temperatures are in the upper 50s and 60s to ensure the best crop comes to harvest.
Source: KVEW-TV