Winter Crops

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FarmCatJenkins
Posts: 2015
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2019 3:27 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Winter Crops

Post by FarmCatJenkins »

I was interested in planting some winter barley but this will be my first attempt. When would you suggest I get the seeds in the ground? Around late autumn?
Farmer since birth. Simulated since ‘15

Xbox: Hodge A Palooza
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Mwal
Posts: 3270
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 4:59 pm

Re: Winter Crops

Post by Mwal »

Anytime in the fall green bar that’s suitable planting weather, depending which geo you use just be careful not to wait to long so your ground gets to cold. I like to go early to give you a bigger window the following year for Harvest.
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ThatCanadianGuy
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Re: Winter Crops

Post by ThatCanadianGuy »

I always seed as soon as possible in the seeding window. As soon as the field is ready and I have time seeds are going in the ground. That way they are in if there is a drop in temperature which would cause germination issues, gives time to spray fert and or herbicide before winter and gives the biggest harvesting window on the other end which can be the difference in getting the crop off or not if it is a wet harvest.
Former real life farmer of lentils, mustard, and wheat on the Canadian prairies.
humbe
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Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:33 pm

Re: Winter Crops

Post by humbe »

What's the point in seeding in autumn? Is it just to free up time in spring? Or make the crop ready to harvest as early as possible in autumn?

Sounds like one is still limited to one crop per year anyhow.

If I grow wheat in summer, is there a way to grow something else over winter, that gives me some crop rotation bonus, that finish so early I can still sow wheat again in spring?
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FarmCatJenkins
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Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Re: Winter Crops

Post by FarmCatJenkins »

I own 16 fields. Would like to sow my cereals in the autumn to germinate through winter so that’s less I have to worry about in the spring when it comes time to mow my meadows and plant the rest of my crops.
Farmer since birth. Simulated since ‘15

Xbox: Hodge A Palooza
Steam: FarmCat Jenkins
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ThatCanadianGuy
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Re: Winter Crops

Post by ThatCanadianGuy »

With the right Geo you can double crop a winter cereal/canola and summer beans, flowers or possibly corn, Midwest works good for that. You have to be on top of things though, it isn't uncommon for me to be seeding while still harvesting the last field or two, sometimes even doing both in the same field if time is tight (and yes there are farms that do that in real life also)

Time is a big bonus, the earlier you get the crop in the larger your harvesting window. The same applies In real life, the sooner a crop is in the sooner you get it off. Fall seeding also gives the advantage of the crop getting all the moisture from the winter & spring precipitation, which was a huge bonus where we farmed.

I think it would be a bigger advantage in game if you were limited to not working wet ground, like harvesting wet crops, but as it is it is just a way to replicate what is done in real life in some areas.
Former real life farmer of lentils, mustard, and wheat on the Canadian prairies.
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IceUul
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Re: Winter Crops

Post by IceUul »

I tried with default GEO using rotation planner canola - wheat - soybeans: mid-spring plant canola - harvest canola in mid-autumn -> plant wheat (winter crop) in mid-autumn - harvest wheat in early-summer ->
plant soybeans in early-Summer - harvest Soybeans in late-Autumn -> and same round again with canola...

Sadly this did not work out, had few bad years and wheat did not get ready before late-summer, so i could not plant soybeans anymore, I guess needs warmer GEO for that.
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kahfs
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Re: Winter Crops

Post by kahfs »

Try Google this text: US crops-typical planting-harvesting dates-by-states

You will see some pdf documents listing the information you need. I used this to make a private GEO mod.

https://downloads.usda.library.cornell. ... 9-2010.pdf
K. Henneberg/ArmChairFarming. Author of RealLifeNumbers (FS19, FS22)
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