Northernlights

More drizzly rain overnight and we even have puddles could not have ordered it better as getting time to soak into dusty soil. Currently drizzle and 16c

More drizzly rain overnight and we even have puddles could not have ordred it better as getting time to soak into dusty soil. Currently drizzle and 16c

Beautiful morning cool at 10c with a steady wetting drizzle. Turnips and cattle smiling at me .

Fine cool , dull evening so started to rogue odd wild oat plants out of spring barley two weeks ahead of normal.Fortunately even though we are up the hill we have moisture retentive soil and the majority of the spring barley is at waist height although gravelly hills are yellow and about 10 inches high. Grains do appear to be filling rapidly which is often the case even in droughted patches as the plants ensure the next generations survival. Cereals are sun loving plants and height will have been sacrificed to fill the grain.All crops/trees are turning colour and so the countryside has the look of early August most surreal.

Saw the first field of winter barley cut near Nairn today approximately three weeks ahead of normal, Currrently ovvercast and 19c

Cooler and cloudier today but fresh west wind has turned forest fire towards the village of Golspie.Helicopter now water bombing and more fire engines have arrived. There were a few light showers near the fire but they have now crossed the Firth to Elgin.Its great to see dark clouds even though we have had no rain.Currently dull and 20c

Baled last of 2018 hay in small bales today. almost two weeks before we started the hay in 2017 such a contrast between years. Young Mr Northernlights taking them in undercover just now. Smoky sunset to the north across the Firth from the forest fire. Still warm at 20c.

While I am enjoying the current weather there are now huge fire risks in the countryside.This morning I can see a forest fire across the Moray Firth to the north near Golspie.

Cool overnight with a heavy dew which has relived pressure on anything still green.Finished cultivating neeps early am just as leaves are about to meet across the drills a full three weeks ahead of normal.Growth rates are off the scale this summer. Currently sunny and already 20c Now the ominous side there is a forest fire across the Firth near Golspie .They have permission to water bomb but seemingly there are no helicopters available. It appears to cover quite a large area.Know a farmer in the vicinity. We are going to remember this summer for a lot of reasons.

Fresher today but getting warm in the sun and out of the wind.Currently 18c Rosebay Willow Herb flowering here too a month earlier than usual. Badgers still digging up garden looking for food. With ground so dry there are no worms slugs or snails near the surface now. Very low humidity here as well at 20% RH There must be a bit of a positive feedback going on here with such dry ground with little evaporation into the air above. The headlines are begining to appear about the damage the dry weather is doing to crop growing with one interesting story that soft fruits are ripening faster than they can be picked. This story can only get worse the longer this dry very sunny spell goes on.

Totally sweltering today gin clear skies and 26c. Nearly all growth has stopped. The trees and countryside are taking on an autumn colour. Local fire engine pulled in behind me at petrol pumps the other night and I spoke to the volunteer fireman who I know and he was saying that are very busy almost full time with grass/brush fires. Low humidities are a big problem this summer. Forecast rain a couuple of days ago for tonight has evaporated I think!

No grazing grass left for cattle fields brown except for deep rooted clover going to start feeding them hay today.,watering garden last night,wheat futures jumped £5/tonne yesterday, yes everything is going to be in short supply. Supermarkets are going to have to work with a new mindset. At a field trial with my agronomist yesterday near Buckie on heavier ground 1"cracks in fields but they are greener than we are so far. Farms that are still mixed with livestock (Dung) and grass breaks are faring best in this weather than ones with continuous cereals. Currently clear blue skies , 25% RH and 14c so the drying process goes on

Well I was born within the sound of Bow Bells of Scottish parants and love strawberries. End of August is usually when the weather becomes a bit breezier and fresher if we have had a traditional humid wet thundery August and this usually lets us start harvest.So if we are stuck with dry weather till then it may well be the point at which it changes. In these dry summers most of harvest done in mid August so the rain can come at the begining of September and not cause to much trouble. These Games are just held just at the point of change so no commitment from me. (Politicians answer!!!)

Strawberries started a fortnight ago outside but will nearly all be over before Wimbledon. Unheard of in Scotland and they are the old variety Cambridge Favourite. Usually have them for most of July. I think this will be the last big pick as the heat has accelerated their ripening

Yes its been a year of firsts with Young Mr Northernlights spotting a fox in the garden last night at dusk which was being stalked by one of the cats who must have thought it was the dog. Will not need to cut domestic grasses again until it rains. We had a strong north wind in the late afternoon which wilted all the plants although its cloudy and cooler now. Several fire engines on the A96 this afternoon must be more problems with this weather. It does however look as though we will get some rain midweek which should help.

Yes all are deep rooted, have long tap roots like dandelion and can still access deep soil moisture.

As Hairy Celt says above crops will soon be wilting.Horse Chestnut leaves in front garden definitely doing this just now. No grazing grass left just now completely burnt off just deep rooted clover keeping cattle going for the next few days but will have to consider starting to feed them at the end of this coming week. Spring barley still green thankfully on our moisture retentive soil as its roots are deeper and not like grass which is very shallow rooting.. Gin clear blue skies and currently 26c. Stiil think that if we get another month of this its going to test the supermarkets low price motto. Yes its just like 75/76 .The interest for me is how long market prices are kept down as a lot farm produce is on contract now now compared with more on the free market in the 70"s. A lot of contracts are at risk of not being fulfilled so will the supermarkets put up the price of dwindling or imported supplies. As Hairy Celt says above being part of a big club of countries helps in years like this

Its started https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44664834 The politicians will be earning their salaries this summer with Brexit and the weather. Currently sunny and 19c

Yes cereals have lower grain numbers as well due to later sowing and moisture limitation and many gravelly /sandy areas in fields are dying off now,second growth (new tillers that are green at harvest)would be a problem here if they suddenly got rain. .Straw for bedding cattle will be scarse and expensive too. The main problem for tatties would be sudden heavy sustained rain which would lead to massve compensatory growth resulting in lots of growth cracks in the tubers and therefore a lot of waste tatties in both ware and seed .Obviously yields will be down if there is no more rain this summer but but in the free market prices should rise. A lot of tatties are grown on contract so their prices are fixed.

A post of mine from a few pages back.This is serious weather. Although we are getting fantastic hay this ongoing spell of dry weather if it continues for another few weeks is going to have huge implications for agricultural production including a lot of vegetables because even if there is irrigation equipment a lot of ditches are now dry. Have mentioned to a few folk that by autumn the weather may be at the top of the politicians agenda. Notice the local dairy farm is taking their second cut before it disappears back into the ground. The seed heads were out again in spite of it being just a few inches high so quality is lost at that point. Currently sunny and 26

26c here now Far to hot for me. I really am a snow loving person!!!! Going to row up some hay this afternoon in an air conditioned tractor set at 5c Ho Ho Ho ! Just a grumpy old farmer today.

Another warm sunny start to the day at 16c. Scarifying neeps late last night when it got cooler and there is still some moisture in the ground and the late germinating 20% are growing well. All the memories of 75/76 are flooding back. Physical work very early am and late evening and tractor work during the height of the day but without the benefit of air con in those days.

Although we are getting fantastic hay this ongoing spell of dry weather if it continues for another few weeks is going to have huge implications for agricultural production including a lot of vegetables because even if there is irrigation equipment a lot of ditches are now dry. Have mentioned to a few folk that by autumn the weather may be at the top of the politicians agenda. Notice the local dairy farm is taking their second cut before it disappears back into the ground. The seed heads were out again in spite of it being just a few inches high so quality is lost at that point. Currently sunny and 26c

27c here with bright blue skies .Just turned some hay cut late Monday,Will bale tomorrow as very crisp already .Very rare three day hay although it was more or less hay when it was cut.