The month of May was particularly wet in the first half of the month, but there is little evidence of that due to the poor weather that followed. It ensures that no catching up has yet been done with regard to the later planting and sowing dates. The growth of potatoes and onions lags behind compared to last year.
With an average temperature of approximately 13,5°C, the temperature hardly deviated from the long-term average of 13,4°C. The month of May started with wind from the north and then from the west. In mid-May, the wind turned back to the north, resulting in lower temperatures and a meager wind.
With an average of 49 mm over the Netherlands against 56 normal, May was on the dry side. Nevertheless, the month was regionally wet due to local downpours, Weeronline reports. It has not yet come to an official summer day in De Bilt, while an average month of May has four days with 25 degrees or more.
Temperature in Celsius | Intermediate | 2022 | 2023 |
February | 3,9 | 6,8 | 5,7 |
March | 6,5 | 7,3 | 7,0 |
April | 9,9 | 9,3 | 8,7 |
Mei | 13,5 | 14 | 13,4 |
Sowing resumes in early May
At the beginning of May, sowing of the Gewastour plots of onions could be resumed. Subsequently, sufficient precipitation fell in several places. The wind turned to the north and this caused a meager wind, which resulted in crust formation. Southern Flevoland is one of the places where the most precipitation has fallen, as also on the Gewastour plot of onions in Zeewolde. The crust eventually had to be broken with a crust breaker. Then the plot was irrigated to keep the growth going. By mid-May, the clay soils were finally capable of planting potatoes. This ensured that a lot of work was done in planting during that period. Where most Gewastour plots of potatoes have just been milled and are starting to sprout, the first Gewastour plots of potatoes are just above.
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