By Clint Thompson
Alabama has sufficient moisture. According to the June 5 edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor, there are no dry conditions being observed throughout the state.
Conditions are especially saturated in central Alabama, says David Lawrence, regional Extension agent in central Alabama.
“All the ponds are full right now. It is wet. About every three or four days we’ve been getting a good shower,” Lawrence said. “We need to dry out a bunch. It’s been pounding us.”
Wet conditions negatively impacted Alabama’s strawberry crop and preparations for the state’s fall vegetable crop.
“The biggest thing to me was the tail end of the strawberry season. I guess we had a cold snap at some point that slowed production down. About the middle to the end of April, production tapered off. We saw a pretty good rebound going into May, but it was so wet in May that it beat up the berries bad,” Lawrence said. “A lot of guys just locked the gates on the strawberry fields there towards the end because the berries can’t handle that much rain. They were just so soft. Especially with peaches coming in, it was just time to transition over to the peach crop and let the strawberries piddle out. A lot of strawberries were left in the field from all the rain.
“About every field I’ve been in the last few weeks, you have to lock it in four-wheeled drive to get through the field. We’ve still got guys trying to get plastic down and get plants in the field for their late summer, fall harvest crops, vegetable crops. They’re having a time right now trying to get plastic laid and get plants in the field. It’s just so wet right now.”