You have probably heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers”.  Around here, though, it is more accurately sad that “March rains bring weeds”.  It may not have the same ring to it but pretty much sums up the next month on the farm.

Spring in the Central Valley is when the weed wars really get heated up.  The days are getting longer and warmer and irrigation and rain provide plenty moisture.  Throw in the fact that the plants are small and unable to compete with the weeds and you get what I’m talking about.  It is a constant battle to mechanically exclude the small weeds before they get too big to easily cut.  If I lose the battle, I am forced to send costly hand-weeding crews through the fields with hoes to cut each individual weed and that gets really expensive, really quick.