Taking care of you during planting season

May 14, 2025
May 14, 2025

planter in field — Stronger crops mean better standability, plant health and the ability to withstand high winds. But those tough stalks present impediments in the spring when it’s time to put seed in the ground.
IFT file photo

Colleen Stegenga

Columnist

Prefer us on Google

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

Colleen Stegenga

Welcome to planting season! If you're already witnessing those first green shoots emerging from the soil, what a wonderful sight that must be. And if you're still in the process of getting seeds in the ground, that's perfectly fine, too. We're right in the appropriate timeframe.

kAm!=2?E:?8 D62D@? >2C<D E96 368:??:?8 @7 H92E H6 2== <?@H 42? 36 2 56>2?5:?8 E:>6 @? E96 72C>] %92EVD H9J x H2?E E@ 86?E=J 3C:?8 J@FC 2EE6?E:@? E@ D@>6E9:?8 ECF=J :>A@CE2?Ei 9@H 2C6 J@F 42C:?8 7@C J@FCD6=7 5FC:?8 E96D6 3FDJ >@?E9Dnk^Am

kAmt249 @7 FD 92D 56G6=@A65 @FC @H? H2JD @7 >2?28:?8 DEC6DD] $@>6 @7 E96D6 DEC2E68:6D ?@FC:D9 FD[ H9:=6 @E96CD—EFC?:?8 E@ 2=4@9@=[ 7@@5[ 82>3=:?8 @C 6G6? D66>:?8=J A@D:E:G6 @FE=6ED =:<6 6I6C4:D6—42? D@>6E:>6D 364@>6 F?962=E9J 4@A:?8 >6492?:D>D H96? C6=:65 FA@? E@@ 962G:=J]k^Am

k9bm(96? 72C> A2CE?6CD9:AD 86E 492==6?8:?8k^9bm

kAmu2C> @A6C2E:@?D @7E6? :?G@=G6 4=@D6 H@C<:?8 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 72>:=J >6>36CD] (96? E6?D:@?D 2C:D6 – A6C92AD 2 D:3=:?8 @C C6=2E:G6 :D?VE 4@?EC:3FE:?8 2D 6IA64E65 – 9@H 5@ J@F 92?5=6 E92E 4@?G6CD2E:@?n s@ J@F 255C6DD :E @A6?=J H:E9 4@>A2DD:@?[ @C 7:?5 J@FCD6=7 2G@:5:?8 E96 5:77:4F=E E2=<[ A6C92AD F?H:?5:?8 H:E9 2 76H 5C:?<D =2E6C H9:=6 92C3@C:?8 C6D6?E>6?Enk^Am

kAm%96D6 A2EE6C?D 42? 8C25F2==J 364@>6 923:ED] q67@C6 =@?8[ H92E DE2CE65 2D @442D:@?2= DEC6DD C6=:67 >:89E 364@>6 D@>6E9:?8 J@F 56A6?5 @? E@ 86E E9C@F89 492==6?8:?8 52JD] x7 E9:D 766=D 72>:=:2C[ A=62D6 <?@H J@FVC6 ?@E 2=@?6[ 2?5 C6249:?8 @FE :D 2 D:8? @7 DEC6?8E9]k^Am

k9bm&?56CDE2?5:?8 2=4@9@= FD6k^9bm

kAmxV5 =:<6 E@ D92C6 D@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 2=4@9@= FD6 5:D@C56C Wp&sX] (9:=6 >2?J 25F=ED 42? 6?;@J 2=4@9@= :? >@56C2E:@? H:E9@FE 92C>[ 7@C 2AAC@I:>2E6=J `g >:==:@? 25F=E p>6C:42?D[ 5C:?<:?8 42FD6D 5:DEC6DD 2?5 5:DCFAE:@? :? E96:C =:G6D[ H:E9 D6G6C:EJ C2?8:?8 7C@> >:=5 E@ D6G6C6]k^Am

kAmp&s :D 492C24E6C:K65 3Jik^Am

k@=mk=:m$EC@?8 4C2G:?8D @C FC86D E@ 5C:?<k^=:mk=:ms:77:4F=EJ 4@?EC@==:?8 @C DE@AA:?8 5C:?<:?8 @?46 DE2CE65k^=:mk=:mu66=:?8 2?I:@FD @C :CC:E23=6 H96? ?@E 5C:?<:?8k^=:mk^@=m

People are also reading…

Rain spoils big year for longtime Illinois fair competitor
Illinois State Fair marks two historic milestones
Facility upgrades highlight Iowa State Fair
Jim’s near miss
The Right Data Put This Grower in the Driver’s Seat
Missouri State Fair features celebration of America 250
Old tractor gets facelift for fair time
Do your research
Beyond tradition: West River couple finds opportunities to improve land with regenerative ranching
Phelps Center: Philanthropy central in southwestern Nebraska ghost town
Way We Live: Next gen drives crop, cattle farm
A.I. trailer offers hands-on learning
Super El Niño coming this fall, winter
Summer heat speeds small grains toward harvest
Floating farm sinks under bureaucracy

kAmw62=E9 6IA6CED 567:?6 3:?86 5C:?<:?8 2D 4@?DF>:?8 6?@F89 2=4@9@= E@ C6249 2 3=@@5 2=4@9@= =6G6= @7 _]_gT—EJA:42==J 7:G6 @C >@C6 5C:?<D H:E9:? 2 76H 9@FCD 7@C >6?[ @C 7@FC @C >@C6 7@C H@>6?]k^Am

kAm#68F=2C 962GJ 5C:?<:?8 42? 27764E J@FC A9JD:42= 962=E9[ A@E6?E:2==J =625:?8 E@ =:G6C AC@3=6>D 2?5 @E96C @C82? 52>286] xE 2=D@ :?4C62D6D C:D<D @7 244:56?ED[ :?;FC:6D[ 2?5 :>A24ED J@FC >6?E2= H6==36:?8]k^Am

k9bm#6249:?8 @FE 7@C DFAA@CEk^9bm

kAmx7 J@FVC6 H@?56C:?8 H96E96C J@FC C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 2=4@9@= >:89E 36 364@>:?8 AC@3=6>2E:4[ 4@?D:56C DA62<:?8 H:E9 J@FC AC:>2CJ 42C6 A9JD:4:2? 2D 2 7:CDE DE6A] %96J 42? AC@G:56 2? 2DD6DD>6?E @C C676C J@F E@ 2 DA64:2=:DE H9@ F?56CDE2?5D E96 F?:BF6 AC6DDFC6D @7 CFC2= 2?5 28C:4F=EFC2= =:76]k^Am

kAm#6>6>36C E9:D ECFE9i 24<?@H=658:?8 DECF88=6D H:E9 2=4@9@= @C @E96C DF3DE2?46D 5@6D?VE >2<6 J@F H62< @C 2 72:=FC6—:E >2<6D J@F 9F>2?] (6 2== 7246 492==6?86D] (92E ECF=J 56>@?DEC2E6D 492C24E6C :D C64@8?:K:?8 H96? D@>6E9:?8 :D?VE D6CG:?8 J@F H6==[ E2<:?8 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ 2?5 D66<:?8 E96 DFAA@CE J@F 56D6CG6]k^Am

k9bm%96 C:AA=6 67764E @? 72>:=:6Dk^9bm

kAm%96 :>A24E @7 F?962=E9J 4@A:?8 >6492?:D>D 6IE6?5D 36J@?5 E96 :?5:G:5F2= E@ =@G65 @?6D] r9:=5C6? 2?5 72>:=J >6>36CD >2J 6IA6C:6?46 2?I:6EJ[ F?46CE2:?EJ[ 2?5 6>@E:@?2= 5:DEC6DD H96? 2 A2C6?E @C A2CE?6CVD 5C:?<:?8 364@>6D F?AC65:4E23=6]k^Am

kAmw62=:?8 :D :>A@CE2?E 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 :?G@=G65] $FAA@CE C6D@FC46D =:<6 p=\p?@? 2?5 u246 xE %@86E96C @776C G2=F23=6 2DD:DE2?46 7@C 72>:=J >6>36CD] (9:=6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 E96 C@@E 42FD6D @7 D@>6@?6VD 5C:?<:?8 :D :>A@CE2?E[ :EVD 6BF2==J 4CF4:2= E92E 72>:=:6D 5@?VE 6?23=6 E96 3692G:@C @C >2<6 6I4FD6D 7@C :E] %96 A6CD@? DECF88=:?8 H:E9 2=4@9@= >FDE F=E:>2E6=J E2<6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C E96:C 962=:?8 ;@FC?6J]k^Am

k9bm*@FVC6 ?@E 2=@?6k^9bm

kAmx? 72C>:?8 4@>>F?:E:6D[ E96C6VD @7E6? 2? F?DA@<6? 6IA64E2E:@? E@ 36 F?72:=:?8=J DEC@?8 2?5 D6=7\DF77:4:6?E] qFE x 36=:6G6 ECF6 DEC6?8E9 4@>6D 7C@> 9@?6DEJ[ GF=?6C23:=:EJ[ 2?5 <?@H:?8 H96? E@ C6249 @FE 7@C DFAA@CE]k^Am

kAm%9:D A=2?E:?8 D62D@?[ 2D J@F ?FCEFC6 J@FC 4C@AD[ A=62D6 C6>6>36C E@ ?FCEFC6 J@FCD6=7[ E@@] x7 J@FV5 =:<6 E@ E2=< 23@FE 2?JE9:?8 >6?E:@?65 96C6[ @C 92G6 BF6DE:@?D 23@FE C6D@FC46D 7@C DFAA@CE[ >J 5@@C :D 2=H2JD @A6?] *@F 42? C6249 >6 2E >J @77:46 ?F>36C[ kDA2? 52E2\@=<\4@AJ\D@FC46lQ|6DD286q@5JQme_d\b_e\ebgb k^DA2?m]k^Am

kAm(:D9:?8 J@F ?@E ;FDE 2 3@F?E:7F= 92CG6DE[ 3FE 2 D62D@? @7 H6==36:?8 2?5 32=2?46]k^Am

Colleen Stegenga, MSW, LCSW-PIP, QMHP, is a therapist and owner of Embracing Change Counseling Services, with offices in Sioux Falls and Mitchell. Reach her at colleen@embracingchangecs.com or visit www.embracingchangecs.com.