Wet weather affects some local crops

FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) - Precipitation on Sunday and Monday doubled June’s rainfall total in the greater Springfield area.

An abundance of rain in a short time frame may threaten some local crops.

Plants should not be left in waterlogged soil for an extended period of time according to Michael Cecchi, part owner of E. Cecchi Farm in Feeding Hills.

“If the plant takes up too much water it's got no where to go. It'll go into the fruit and will lead to loss. Rotting,” Cecchi told 22News on Monday.

Strawberries and squash, now ripe and ready to pick, should get a little extra attention. Be sure the fruit does not sit in collecting water-on the farm or in the garden. Cecchi recommends picking ripe items as soon as possible.

It’s too early in the season for heavy rain to ruin other growing crops like tomatoes, peppers, and corn. Plants should be monitored for flooding. One can drain puddles by digging a trench away from the plants.

Cecchi explained that his family’s farm is not affect by soaking rains to the extent of other locations. The sandy soil supplies adequate drainage. Landscapes with clay-like or silty soil are more susceptible to episodes of ponding water.