In 2010 I planted corn in April, last year on June 10, because it was so wet and this year on May 1. Planting had to wait until I could retrieve free seed from SD Game Fish and Parks. With seed corn selling for $200. per bushel, or more, a 70 mile drive to Huron for free seed seemed a good idea. The seed was to be available at 1:00 and I was waiting when the truck arrived at 12:30.
Thunderstorms were predicted and the stiff south wind was pumping moisture up from the gulf. A hurried trip back followed by rapid planting meant that I just finished when the first rain drops fell. A thunderstorm was developing over my head. I skipped the post planting harrowing of the field and got back to town with out getting wet..
For the first time I planted some grain sorghum, too. By filling two end seed boxes on the four row planter with sorghum the field will have four rows of sorghum interspersed with four rows of corn. Lacking the proper planter plates for sorghum I used corn plates. On one row I ducked tape half of the plate's holes closed to try to limit the amount of sorghum planted. The sorghum seeds are quite small; think of a small black peppercorn, so using corn plates with the larger holes spreads too many sorghum seeds. I tried this sorghum experiment on about half of the field. Pheasants love sorghum but the plants are only about 30 inches tall so the corn will provide better snow and wind protection.
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