Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share 6/26/25 - Sweet Corn Soon; More wet for now, dry next week
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
6/26/25 - Sweet Corn Soon; More wet for now, dry next week
Weather History & Current Conditions
- Historical reference: June 26, 1993 - Severe hailstorms in western Iowa with golf ball to softball-sized hail caused extensive damage to crops, trees, cars, and buildings
- Recent weather: 150-400% of normal rainfall across southern Iowa with some areas receiving 3-8 inches (equivalent to a month's worth of rain)
- Heat wave anomaly: Unusual combination of high 90s temperatures, high humidity, and sustained strong southerly winds for 24-36 hours - described as a "black swan event"
- Record temperatures: Many stations recorded daily record warm overnight low temperatures that didn't allow for cooling
- Short-term: Continued unsettled pattern with thunderstorms and slight severe weather risk in north-central to northeastern Iowa
- Coming week: Heavy rain potential (1-2 inches), cooler 80s tomorrow, then back to low 90s with Sunday thunderstorms followed by quieter conditions
- Extended outlook: 6-10 and 8-14 day forecasts show near normal temperatures with continued wet signal; July outlook leans warm statewide with slight dry tendency in western Iowa
- Sweet corn timing: First harvest expected within days - Roger VanDonselaarr (Prairie Produce, Grinnell) and Hilltop Farm (Dallas Center)
- Production methods: Early growers use clear plastic mulch and row covers to accelerate growth
- Corn earworm challenge: Moths present requiring spray applications every 2-3 days, but wet conditions prevent field access
- Quality standards: Zero tolerance for worms in commercial sweet corn due to consumer expectations and processing requirements
- Drone spraying: Some growers adopting drone technology to overcome wet soil limitations, though wind conditions still restrict applications
- Disease scouting tips:
- Stay out of wet fields to prevent disease spread
- Start with youngest, healthiest plants before moving to diseased areas
- Use clean clothes, tools, and boots daily
- Disinfect pruners between plants
- Current diseases observed: Bacterial leaf spot in parsley/cilantro and black rot in brassicas
- Scape removal timing: Research shows removing scapes as early as possible (when just emerged) produces largest bulbs
- Manual vs. mechanical removal: Hand removal preferred as mowing can remove leaves and reduce bulb size by 15%
- Market considerations: If selling scapes, wait for full curl; if maximizing bulb size, remove immediately
- July 1: Plant diagnostic clinic at Twin County Produce Auction, Kalona (9-11 AM)
- July 8: Rodale Field Day at Midwest Organic Center near Cedar Rapids - featuring autonomous robotic ag tools
- July 31: Educate the Educators Day at Plant Peddler, Cresco
- August 1: Variety Day trade show at Plant Peddler
- End of July: Cut flower field day at River Root Farm, Decorah
- End of August: Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day, Ames
summary generated using claude.ai
View all episodes
By Dan Fillius; Justin Glisan; Madelynn WuestenbergWeather History & Current Conditions
- Historical reference: June 26, 1993 - Severe hailstorms in western Iowa with golf ball to softball-sized hail caused extensive damage to crops, trees, cars, and buildings
- Recent weather: 150-400% of normal rainfall across southern Iowa with some areas receiving 3-8 inches (equivalent to a month's worth of rain)
- Heat wave anomaly: Unusual combination of high 90s temperatures, high humidity, and sustained strong southerly winds for 24-36 hours - described as a "black swan event"
- Record temperatures: Many stations recorded daily record warm overnight low temperatures that didn't allow for cooling
- Short-term: Continued unsettled pattern with thunderstorms and slight severe weather risk in north-central to northeastern Iowa
- Coming week: Heavy rain potential (1-2 inches), cooler 80s tomorrow, then back to low 90s with Sunday thunderstorms followed by quieter conditions
- Extended outlook: 6-10 and 8-14 day forecasts show near normal temperatures with continued wet signal; July outlook leans warm statewide with slight dry tendency in western Iowa
- Sweet corn timing: First harvest expected within days - Roger VanDonselaarr (Prairie Produce, Grinnell) and Hilltop Farm (Dallas Center)
- Production methods: Early growers use clear plastic mulch and row covers to accelerate growth
- Corn earworm challenge: Moths present requiring spray applications every 2-3 days, but wet conditions prevent field access
- Quality standards: Zero tolerance for worms in commercial sweet corn due to consumer expectations and processing requirements
- Drone spraying: Some growers adopting drone technology to overcome wet soil limitations, though wind conditions still restrict applications
- Disease scouting tips:
- Stay out of wet fields to prevent disease spread
- Start with youngest, healthiest plants before moving to diseased areas
- Use clean clothes, tools, and boots daily
- Disinfect pruners between plants
- Current diseases observed: Bacterial leaf spot in parsley/cilantro and black rot in brassicas
- Scape removal timing: Research shows removing scapes as early as possible (when just emerged) produces largest bulbs
- Manual vs. mechanical removal: Hand removal preferred as mowing can remove leaves and reduce bulb size by 15%
- Market considerations: If selling scapes, wait for full curl; if maximizing bulb size, remove immediately
- July 1: Plant diagnostic clinic at Twin County Produce Auction, Kalona (9-11 AM)
- July 8: Rodale Field Day at Midwest Organic Center near Cedar Rapids - featuring autonomous robotic ag tools
- July 31: Educate the Educators Day at Plant Peddler, Cresco
- August 1: Variety Day trade show at Plant Peddler
- End of July: Cut flower field day at River Root Farm, Decorah
- End of August: Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day, Ames
summary generated using claude.ai