LINDSAY — The planting season has gotten off to an "unbelievable start" in east-central Ontario, says Neil Moore, advisor to the Soil and Crop Association in the Kawartha region. Eight days of summer weather in April took away the snow with a minimum of flooding. In that period, at least half the spring grains were planted. Then progress slowed a little as wet and cold weather set in the last few days of April.

Roundup Ready seed is scarce, Moore says, noting that everything is never perfect. But little winterkill appears to have occurred to alfalfa fields and the winter wheat appears in good condition. Farmers all through the region have been preparing fields and a few farmers have planted corn.

While the soil dried on top, the melt from the heavy snow cover has created a reservoir of moisture should last well into the season, he said.

In Renfrew County, crop farmer Larry Reaburn says considerable wheat has been planted, maybe 50 per cent. But the season came on so fast the fertilizer companies were not ready. Some farmers had to wait for delivery. He’s hardly noticed any winterkill in the hay crops, and winter wheat survived well on well drained land. But there is damage to wheat planted on knolls and in poorly drained land.

The clay soils have dried more quickly than the loams, he says. "It’s working up nicely and the best I’ve seen in years." Spring wheat on clay soils was out of the ground five days after planting and had grown two inches by day eight.

While some farmers were reluctant to plant corn in the hot spell, fearing below zero temperatures later on, most farmers have been out preparing their land for planting.

Bud Atkins, at Moose Creek, says a Dunvegan farmer in Glengarry County planted 180 acres of corn, but that’s not common.

"I always plant my corn on May 7," he says. "It will be May 7 this year."

But a great start is not a great crop, warns Reaburn. "It’s not over till it’s over."