MSU Extension Talks Considerations For 2023 Growing Season

It's that time of year.  It's now officially spring, even if the weather seems to say otherwise.

Montana's farmers are getting ready for the growing season, and Professor Clain Jones of MSU's Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, wants them to take into consideration the effect recent weather could have on their plans.

In the press release from MSU Extension, Jones, who is also working on another project regarding soil acidity, says that the above-average precipitation in Central and Eastern Montana this winter and continued cold temperatures could delay planting across the state, because fields in many places are still too cold and wet to work, and may continue to be for a while.

Another factor to consider, according to Jones, is the effect prolonged cold and wet conditions can have on soil nutrients, either leeching them away, or causing them to not break down correctly.

That will potentially impact the fertilizing of the soil, including factors like when, where, how much or what kind to apply.

MSU, and by extension, the Extension service (wordplay kinda intended) have resources on how to identify signs of nutrient issues and how to treat them, which can be found here and here.