‘The weeds aren’t even coming up yet,’ Regina dry spell causes headaches for farmers and gardeners

There haven’t been enough May showers to bring up those flowers. Last month was Regina’s driest May since 1971.

Tom Gartner spends many summer days at his plot at Cathderal Community Garden. It’s a labour of love. Dry weather has prevented the first glimpse of peas and lettuce from peaking through the ground.

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“I planted my stuff like that, and it’s still not moving. It still hasn’t come out out of the dirt yet,” he said.

“The weeds aren’t even coming up yet.”

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At another plot, Rudy Ast waters his freshly-planted tomatoes. He’s just hoping for the best.

“This is our dry year. You put something in and you hope it grows,” Ast said.

“In addition all of the months since January have been warmer than normal. It sucks all the beads of moisture from the ground, so if you’re not getting enough rain and it’s warmer, you are getting into a deficit situation,” Environment Canada’s David Phillips said.

Even though it’s hot and dry, farmers aren’t panicked yet. Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission Chair Bill Gehl said it’s just the beginning of the growing season and it takes just one good rain for everything to start growing.

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“I think everybody would really like to see some rain on their canola and on their flax because it’s shallow seeded. I think a 25 millimetre rain across the prairies everybody would be happy with,” Gehl said.

“If we were entering the dry part of the season, one would be a little bit concerned, but in June and early July which is usually the wettest time,” Phillips said.

The hope is the hot weather will be paired with thunderstorms that will bring rain. The problem is the forecast.

“As far as I can see, there is just no rain on the horizon,” Phillips said.

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