To plant or not to plant

GAME CROPS

When do we plant our maize? Last year, we were advised to wait until early June and it was one of the worst years we’ve had; our shooting was poorer because of it. We don’t want to make the same mistake twice.

You are not alone. A lot of us had the same problem. Early June was about right for last year because the soil took a while to warm up — and there is little point in planting until it does. What we were not prepared for was the amount of rain and the cold nights that we had in June after the planting. The wet and the drop in temperature happened at just the wrong time; it checked the growth and a lot of plants failed to recover.

Keep an eye on both your neighbours and the soil temperature. Plant when they plant and when you think it is warm enough — and hope that we have a better summer than we did last year. Don’t rush. There are no prizes for planting first. LB

Don’t rush your maize — the right soil temperature is key to success