Soil Temperature

My Monroe County contact reported this morning that soil temperature is 60 degrees.  I checked my garden and also found 60 degrees.  It does not take long to warm up with air temperatures in the 70's and sun shining.  Ideally corn should be planted in 50 degrees Fahrenheit soils or warmer.  Today's readings certainly signal that corn planting is in order.  The question is, do you really want to plant with heavy rains in the forecast.  Researchers have found that corn planted on the day of a heavy rain or the day before a heavy rain does not germinate as well as we might like.  I think the poorer germination may be related to oxygen and the seedcoat breaking down.  On days like today, the best strategy might be to till the soil and prepare your seedbed.  Then it is ready to plant in the stale seedbed after the rain.  Seed placement should be slightly better in the stale seedbed too because the settled soil will not have voids like the loose soil will have.