Despite the wet ground, John Fritz Jr. worked yesterday in 60-degree temperatures to get some of his tobacco planted. Farmers have faced continual showers and cool temperatures in the last few weeks, putting them further and further behind. If tobacco farmers try to plant when the ground is wet, the mud can get too heavy on the tobacco, and the weight of the tractors can press the soil, making it as hard as concrete when it dries out. But Fritz said he couldn't wait for drier days. His tobacco plants have been ready to set for about two weeks, and some plants have rotted because the rain has kept him out of the fields.
Tobacco is grown from seeds in beds and greenhouses.
When the plants are 8 to 10 inches tall, farmers must transplant them to the fields. Statewide, there hasn't been any widespread loss yet, said Bill Brannen, deputy statistician for the Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service. But if the sun doesn't shine in the next week, conditions could become critical for tobacco, said Bob Barton, a farmer in northern Fayette County. If forecasts hold true, farmers won't get any help until Monday. Chances of showers and temperatures in the 60s are predicted through Sunday.