A screwy year for crops

[Bob Of Burleson]

Late freezes delay tomatoes, peaches

By Sarah Bahari
sbahari@star-telegram.com

Farmer Payton Scott took off his cowboy hat and wiped his brow as a customer approached at the Cowtown Farmers Market in Fort Worth.

“Are these field tomatoes?” the man asked.

Scott grimaced. “Heck no,” he answered. “Those are about a month away.”

By Saturday he and other farmers were still just beginning to see the first signs of summer, selling a trickle of peaches, green beans and squash. A late spring freeze and the drought set back the produce harvest for many.

Scott, who owns Scott Farms in Cisco, tried to stave off the freeze April 15 by covering his tomatoes with 5,000 red plastic cups, each with a hole burned through the bottom to let air in. Many of the plants died anyway. Now, lack of rain is a critical problem.

“I’ve never seen a year screwier than this,” Scott said. “It has been a damn screwy year.”

Dallas-Fort Worth had 55 freezes this winter, the most in 30 years and easily exceeding the season average of 33, according to the National Weather Service. As for rain, the region has received 7.33 inches this year, 9.93 less than usual, said Steve Fano, weather service meteorologist. Rainfall is about 30 inches short over the last three years.

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[Ryan]

My purple hulls, watermelons and corn are coming up.

Disc'd up another acre yesterday. Debating on what to put in that one. I still have at least 10 more acres of fields to clean up before planting.

My FIL used to keep all his fields meticulously clean.

Due to the circumstances, I am playing catch up.

[dublusk]

Pretty late for much of anything except peas! Plant some Purple Hulls, and Crowders!

[GFB]

Oh well, as long as the stores still have plenty of stuff.

[Ryan]

Not sure why, but this property grows purple hulls that people go crazy for.

[Grassman]

My okra is not doing well. got lots of tomatoes.

[Cowman52]

Okra is like cotton, it takes 65 degree soil temp to sprout and warm weather after that.

[Cowman52]

Okra is like cotton, it takes 65 degree soil temp to sprout and warm weather after that.

Then the mesquite gets frost bit.