The grain market was also moved by the rainy weather in the Corn Belt, which will delay planting.

Several guests complained that the night's tomato bounty wasn't quite ripe enough; a rainy March had delayed planting, and the tomatoes were not as luscious as they had hoped.

One way to avoid it, is to delay planting of squash by several weeks.

Heavy rains initially delayed planting of the crops, and then above-normal temperatures raised concerns that they could be damaged.

Excessive rainfall and high humidity last spring rotted produce, drowned plants, fostered disease and delayed or prevented planting, officials said.

Corn and soybeans surged as cold weather moved into the already dry Midwest, threatening to delay early planting of the fall crops.

Selling interest was tempered by concerns about the slow pace at which the soybean and corn crops are developing as a result of heavy spring rains that delayed planting.

The corn market extended a strong upward trend supported by last month's rain, which delayed planting, and by the belief that corn supplies are unusually tight.

This eliminates more weeds, but care must be used to not delay planting of a desirable crop later than the crop needs for a successful season's growth.

Of special concern is the moisture built up in the unfrozen ground from a warm, rainy winter, which could delay planting of cash crops.