Well, the garbaznos were a bust-We grew the garbanzos to see if they would be a better rotatation than wheat. They are not, at least for us. Wheat is a good rotation and it makes money when wheat prices are up. Wheat prices have been down the past two years. So it seemed to make sense to look for another rotation crop.
Starting a new crop is always a hassle. You are unsure of what to do. You fiddle with the equipment. We probably spent more time tinkering with 40 acres of garbanzos than we will with 160 acres of ctton. But, isn't it always that way when you learn something new?
This one didn't pencil out, meaning it cost more to produce than we will get for the crop. As Sheryl's Dad says, "You pay for your education."
For those of you who don't recognize the photo- those are cotton blooms and squares. The cotton blooms yellow or white, depending on the variety, then they turn pink.This is the time of year to set bolls. It takes 60 days from bloom to open boll. So we need to set a crop by August 15 if we are going to harvest in October.
We try to keep the plants watered and fed. We also try to keep th bugs off them. The current weather has been almost perfect. Cotton won't grow well if ti is cooler than 65F in the morning or warmer than 95F in the afternoon. We are just about right in that department.
We are getting ready to harvest our first variety of almonds in a couple of week. This week we will cut off the water and start prepping the fields.
I hope all is well with you and yours.
P
Thanks for teaching us what it is like in your world...a world that effects our world. Sorry about the garbanzo. So, what will you try next?
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