Spring is Finally Upon Us. Here are the Keys to a Successful Season.

Growers far and wide have experienced a sluggish start to spring. The West, in particular, has been inundated with epic rain and snowfall.

While ultimately beneficial, the influx of water – coupled with a later return to more traditional weather – means growers are in go mode to manage their crops and get them back to where they will deliver the best results at harvest.

Whether it is row crops being planted, grapes at early shoot growth or perennial crops with developing fruits and nuts, ensuring soil health, root growth, efficient delivery of nutrients, and recovery from abiotic stress are all keys to success in farming.

Getting the plant growing well, and overcoming oversaturated conditions includes jump starting the low microbial activity and nutrient availability. A sign of the times is something known as spring fever. When it’s a wet spring, leaves found on trees and vines often have a yellowish hue instead of the preferred dark green color. This is caused by insufficient nutrient availability.

Because of the wet soil conditions, nitrogen availability is often less than optimal.  Other management challenges include poor leaf out and leaf expansion, bacterial blast and phytophthora.