Growers' patience will be tested this spring

Quite a few onion plots could be sown last week, but not for everyone. Time is running out quite fast considering the calendar. The planters are also still in the grease. The patience of the growers will be tested this spring.

At the end of last week, a few growers sowed their onions, so that the counter now stands at seven of the ten plots at the Gewastour onions. This is different for potato growers. Apart from a few tillage, nothing has happened in the country so far. It is already starting to be a really late spring. Or have we not been a bit too spoiled on average in recent years?

Sow onions before the showers
At the end of last week, onion growers Peter Holster, David de Wit and Jacky Dieleman were able to sow their onions. Jacky Dieleman from Philippine (Zeeland) was finally able to sow his onion plot before the weekend. Well, a month later than last year. "I sowed my onions on April 20. I drove in the Flevopolder yesterday, but it's wetter here than at home. I had 19 millimeters of rain last weekend. They're still raining for next Friday. I hope that after next weekend my other plot can still sow onions. Then we have to start planting potatoes immediately."

Peter Holster from Marknesse (Flevoland) sowed his onions on Friday 21 April on beds of 2,25 meters and that went better than expected. "I sow the onions with skis in front of the sowing element instead of a front wheel. The idea behind this is that I can sow the onions better in the moist soil. Sowing the onions went really well, better than I first expected. Only I have "I've had 35 millimeters of rain so far. As a result, I have already hung the weeding blade behind the tractor. If necessary, I can prevent possible crust formation with the weeding blade in time."

Bought extra seed potatoes
At Wim de Witte from Steenbergen (North Brabant), 28 millimeters of rain fell over the weekend and the past few days. "I don't want to force my potato plants, because you will see that for the rest of the season. My seed potatoes are still quietly stored in the refrigerator. I did buy extra seed potatoes to plant more closely. This is to get more tubers per meter and to achieve the desired yield there because the growing season is getting shorter due to late spring. Last week I already pulled back for the chicory. We keep courage and patience and I don't feel like forcing it."

Waiting for better weather
Ruud Vossebeld from Beemte Broekland (Gelderland) "It's very wet, so far I've had 25 millimeters of rain since the weekend. I didn't think the conditions were good enough to sow my onions last week. Now I just have to be patient until the land is capable. The prospects are that it will take another week or a week before we can sow. Then it will already be the beginning of May and the days will continue to run."

Growers who have not yet sown are starting to think whether sowing onions is still such a smart thing if sowing cannot be done within now and two weeks. The growing season is very short. "Perhaps if it takes longer, I will have to make a different choice. We will see; everyone suffers from the fact that it is wet. In any case, it already creates a mood on the market."

Jan Berend Biesheuvel from Zeewolde (Flevoland) has not yet lowered the sowing machine on his plot. "I thought it was still too wet at the bottom of the soil to sow. If I did prepare the soil last week, I would pull up tough soil. I don't want that in my seedbed." Biesheuvel did burn down his plot last week. "I'm glad I did that, otherwise you'll have to wait for that again later. I've had 35 to 40 millimeters in total so far, so nothing will happen in the country this week anyway. Now it's just quiet to stay."

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