PSTeach Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 OUr first year of trying to grow it, and, I have to say- it was DELICIOUS!! I think we planted enough that we should be able to eat it for at least 3 or 4 weeks. We even shared with the neighbors. I am really starting to love this gardening more every year!! I have to admit, we don't fuss over it very much, and still seem to get pretty good results, knock on wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 We are going to have tons of it too. Must have been a good year for corn. Now if the coons stay away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I haven't tried Corn on the deck but one of these years I'm going to plant a couple just for an experiment. Yesterday I did get the first good corn of the year over by the Bowling Alley. He said they have already harvested 1500 dozen ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSTeach Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 From what I have read, you need to make sure you have enough planted that it will pollenate. My MIL only planted a small section one year, and it didn't do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 From what I have read, you need to make sure you have enough planted that it will pollenate. My MIL only planted a small section one year, and it didn't do well. Quite right. Corn is wind pollinated and if you don't have several rows of it you get ears that are not full. Each corn silk is attached to a kernel and if each one isn't pollinated the kernel doesn't develop. And you thought that corn silk was just something to make your life miserable when you are trying to eat corn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 That's why it would be an experiment. I'll probably have to do the "Bee" thing with a brush to get it to develop right. Supposedly you can't transplant Sunflowers with much success but we put four in the Franklin Street bed and they took off and are now flowering. It's fun to fool plants into performing well. My harvest of Sweet Long Pickling Peppers is doing great and I'm lining up the Sauerkraut! Corn is one of the best crops to use in square foot gardening because it's so close together that i tpollinates well. However, it has to be fed and watered well too. Another benefit, much less weeding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badmonkey Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 My corn looks great. I have been planting Silver Queen for the last four years and it seems to get a little better every year! I use a hill & row method. I plant three plants per hill and the hills are in rows. I make sure to shovle lots of dirt around the base of the plants and tie them to posts in the rows when possible. A couple of years ago I had a great looing garden with lots of nice corn stalks loaded with developing ears and we had a storm. It knocked down almost all of my plants. They weren't only knocked down but they were twisted at the base which killed the plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I've had that happen with corn. It is due to the root system not developing properly. It helps to plant corn deep but sometimes it is just the weather. Lack of rain is probably the major cause around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petee Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Another benefit of the Square Foot Gardening idea. The plants help support each other and you can run a soaker hose through it easily. A ten by ten section, one plant per foot, one hundred plants in that area, at least 2-3 ears per stalk, 200-300 ears. Very little weeding, easy feeding (10-10-10) easier to protect from varmints. I bought 6 dozen ears yesterday afternoon for $22.50. In between swimming, errands and everything else, I had it all husked, blanched and cut off the cobs by Midnight. There was a LOT of corn there too! I save a big bag for Thanksgiving. It's one of our traditions to use as many food items as possible that we harvested, canned or prepared from scratch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snellma Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Our friends brought me down a bushel from central PA but it was quite tough and a little on the older side. I was quite disappointed because she said how good it was. I would love to get my hands on some bread and butter corn. Haven't had that since leaving PA 25 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Snellma, there are a lot of new varieties that have a gene for super sweetness. They also hold longer before the sugar turns to starch. I started with something called Candy Corn many years ago and lately we've been planting Bodacious. If you are going to haul corn around these new varieties are the kind to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSTeach Posted August 17, 2008 Author Share Posted August 17, 2008 Don't forget to put a dash of sugar in the water if you boil it. It enhances the sweetness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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