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jengc_gw

Corn

jengc
14 years ago

I planted Golden Bantam Corn this spring. I pulled two ears off July 4th weekend and they were tiny. Good, but tiny. So I thought I picked them too soon. So I let one sit on the stalk for a while and the husk was white which made me think I waited too long...ICK!!!! It really tasted OLD. Ok so...this is just a very small type of corn? I know the peaches and cream is about the best corn, but that is a hybrid right? What I dont understand is, the Amish in our city grows them and sells it. Well, I dont see the Amish going to the seed store or ordering online and buying more corn seeds every year. So....how do they keep getting more seeds?

Anyway, rambling here. Does anyone know where there is a chart that tells you the types of corn is what size?

Thanks!

Jen

Comments (9)

  • rj_hythloday
    14 years ago

    There are OP corn that the Amish could be seed saving. One problem w/ corn is it takes a lot to get them properly pollinated. A friend here is from NJ and he says the outer 4 or 5 rows in a big field of corn are worthless due to lack of pollination. I only have 4 rows so I try and hand pollinate, but don't know if I'll try corn again next year or not. I had two very big full ears early, but the jury is still out on the rest of the crop.

  • jengc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well, mine are SFG style and I dont have rows. Well, I guess i have two rows very close to each other. When I go by there I give them a good shake to make sure it is pollinated. I figured that it either gets pollinated or not. I didnt know there was pollinated enough.

    I'm sorry, I dont know what OP is.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Jen's Victory Garden Blog

  • greenbean08_gw
    14 years ago

    OP is open pollinated (not a hybrid).
    Each silk leads to a kernel. If only some of the silks are pollinated, only those kernels will form. Last year, I didn't have good pollination and most of my ears were missing a bunch of kernels and I had "toothless", uneven & incomplete corn.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

  • paully1
    14 years ago

    I have Early Golden Bantam planted too. This is my first year vegetable gardening. The Victory Seeds site says that the ears should be about seven inches with only eight rows of kernels. That is much smaller than most corn that I have eaten in my life. I started them indoors May 1, and planted them out May 24th weekend. (As luck would have it, I dodged a huge hailstorm in early May that would have pounded direct sown corn into oblivion!) The ears are just starting to form now, so I am anxiously awaiting a chance to try them.

  • rj_hythloday
    14 years ago

    I picked several ears last night for dinner, the silks were brown all the way down. They were very malformed, but tasted good. I'll give corn another shot next year, planting more than this year. If it's still a waste of space I'll wait till I can plant a whole field of corn.

  • jengc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Yeah this last one had wide gaps and the ends didn't form correctly. I will try it again next year in another space. I am going to do the 3 sisters formation hoping that it might help. I am going to see if I have other types of corn instead of this one.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Jen's Victory Garden

  • greenwood85
    14 years ago

    Someone recommended to me that you plant at least a 4X4 patch to ensure good pollination. My patch this year is 6X4, I shook the tops when they formed and I've have very good results so far.

  • rj_hythloday
    14 years ago

    Yep, I've heard min 4x4, I think the seed pack also recommended at least 4 rows. I did 3 x 12 w/ 2 in ea square. Some SFG have been planting 4 per sqaure. I think next year I'll move it over a foot or two and do 4x12 w/ 3 per.

  • jengc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    AAhhh ok I thought I read that you had to have at least 16 plants. That would cover a 2x2 patch. But get at least a 4x4! Great! I will do that next year. THANKS!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Jen's Victory Garden Blog

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