'No tractor to be seen on a plot in the area yet'

Despite the fact that growers are busy in various places, sowing the onions does not happen automatically everywhere. Some growers have come to a standstill again due to the precipitation or find the soil not yet suitable for sowing.

There is not yet a smooth start everywhere. The rain forecast for the coming weekend can also spoil the fun again. Also growers who participate in the Boerenbusiness Crop tours are busy. In East Groningen on the sandy and lighter soils, many onions have been sown in recent days. This is also the case with René Haaijer from Veelerveen (Groningen). He has been sowing his Gewastour plot in recent days, with 7 rows on 2 meter beds. "But it didn't last much. I've sown half of the contract work plots at the moment and that's not going to happen by itself. I still have a good week of work with the rest of the plots." This is how Haaijer also rained out on Friday. "Now we hope that the precipitation will not be too bad in the coming days, so that we can continue sowing. Because the days will continue to count."

Press the land in Zeeland
Growers in Zeeland are also busy with onions and sugar beets. Klaas Jan Boer from Kortgene (ZL) has sown the Hyfive variety primed on the Gewastour plot, with 5 rows on beds of 1,5 meters. "I sowed my onions on Wednesday, April 19. The onions are on a plot of 25% silt and preparing the land and sowing went well. The onions are well in the moist soil. The land has dried hard in recent days, so I am now busy with sugar beet sowing. A little rain on the onions and sugar beets next weekend is not bad. But not too much, I don't feel like crust formation."

Don't rush to sow
Reinder Hogenhout from Kimswerd (Fr.) is not in a hurry yet. "I did burn off my plots of onions and sugar beets this week. It's only been dry since Monday and it rained for five weeks before that. The ground is drying hard this week, of course, but rain is in sight again next weekend."

If you look at the calendar, you will see that May is not far away. For many growers it is too late to sow. It is not without reason that the saying 'sowing onions in May produces leeks'. Hogenhout wants to get going, but the soil must also be competent enough. "It is of course later with sowing than in recent years. But I don't think it's a reason to go into the field yet. The substrate must be good for sowing. If the substrate is not sufficiently dry when sowing, you have the whole years of enjoyment. Not so. There are no tractors on the land in the area yet. We are waiting patiently."

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