Water, water everywhere. Is this the new normal – drought or flood? I feel like it probably is.

I have watched the phases of the moon for many years to predict the weather and more recently when to apply foliar feeds and plant.

The moon is currently in a different orbit, the last time this happened was in 1724 so I’m told.

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About the author

Tim Parton

Tim Parton manages 300ha in South Staffordshire, growing winter wheat, sorghum, spring barley, beans, oats, lupins and wildflowers as part of an organic farming system. He grows cover crops and grass for hay on sandy loam soils.

I have a book of agricultural records of the agricultural year and the corresponding weather, with the same pattern in 1724 as this year.

I’m not saying that human actions don’t influence the planet, as they very much do, but it’s interesting to see weather patterns repeat themselves, but “climate change” is blamed, while lots of money is made.

Autumn drilling is finally over, one or two crops are not enjoying the wet weather and cooler temperatures.

All cultures are drilled with added biology – both a consortium of known microbes and a compost extract made from my own recipe.

This is added via a liquid applicator on the drill, ensuring that the biologics are properly applied to the rhizosphere of the newly planted seed, releasing the nutrition from the soil naturally.

The seed itself is a home saved mix that will (hopefully) have between 7-9 million endophytes already in place on the seed, ready to work in harmony with the plant.

It will also be placed with the correct nutrition required by the plant, allowing for optimal photosynthesis, with sunlight converted into sugars, carbohydrates and amino acids, releasing them as exudates.

This will feed the biology, in exchange for supplying the plant with the necessary nutrients.

Elements are also added to help the plant create a tough cell wall to fight off possible pathogens that attack the plant.

While we feed the plant to help it produce primary metabolites, we also feed the plant to produce secondary metabolites, which, among other things, help the plant fight off attacks by pathogens.

All of this gives the crop the best start in life to help me farm without fungicides and insecticides.

After all, all plants have fantastic immune systems just like humans. And just like people, plants need the right nutrition to function at their best.