Wisconsin potato planting is ahead of schedule

Potato growers in Wisconsin’s central sands region expect to wrap up planting soon. Jim Okray with Plover-based Okray Family Farms tells Brownfield planting has gone smooth this year compared to years past.

Jim Okray:
 

"I would say we started on time if not a bit early and we are almost complete with our potato planting. If not for the rain today, we would be finished."

Okray says they will have about 18-hundred acres of potatoes planted and should be putting potato planters away around Wednesday. He also says it is still early to plant the vegetable crops in their rotation.

Jim Okray:
 

"Typically, we’ll see some pea planting between the 10th and 15th of May, even some sweet corn possibly that first week of May, but it has been cold so we’re not getting a lot of heat units yet."

Okray says the canning plants usually like to wait until there is a low chance of night frost and the soil temperature comes up before planting those crops. He says the rain pattern that moved through his area dropped about six-tenths of an inch Sunday night and Monday morning, which was just enough to keep crews out of the fields Monday.