Column Eric Colenbrander

Frost is going to postpone the start of sod fertilizing

6 February 2017 - Redactie Boerenbusiness

If the manure storage is full, it is wise to fertilize on arable land in the coming days. On February 15, when fertilizer application on grassland is allowed again, the frost is in the ground. Thanks to a reliable long-term forecast, that can already be stated with considerable certainty 10 days in advance.

A strong easterly wind will bring ice-cold air from Monday. Controlled by a strong Scandinavian high pressure area, which means that, in contrast to the previous frost period, the northeast will be the coldest. Even now it is not certain that the high pressure area will not sail further south. Comes the most likely

wind chill to minus 20 degrees

forecast, then in combination with strong wind wind chill temperatures of minus 20 degrees are possible. It can feel very cold, especially when frost sets in, next Tuesday to Wednesday. Then the wind in the northeast picks up to force five.

The following days, the temperature also dips below freezing during the day in the northeast. It is sunny and therefore the daily routine is large. The wind subsides. Thaw during the day, light to moderate frost at night. Beautiful sunny light freezing weather, long lasting. It is not yet clear whether the frost will last longer than a week.

It is likely that around the time when it is allowed to spread manure on grassland, February 15, softer air will start to push back from the Atlantic Ocean. What is certain is that by that time the frost has penetrated so far into the ground that fertilizing the sod is impossible. With the exception of the southwest of the country, where the cold penetrates less. For the time being, the so-called transport cold does not seem to be coming our way with so much force from Russia that the whole of southwestern Europe is also going into the deep freeze.

The sunny outlook indicates that February will also be drier than usual. In some regions of the Netherlands this is the seventh month in a row. Only next Tuesday there may be a little precipitation, perhaps in the form of snow. 

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