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crystabel_gw

I have corn!!

crystabel
15 years ago

I am so excited! I found a silk coming out of my corn stalk last week and now have 4 ears in the first square that I planted! I have been out there hand pollinating it every day LOL.



I did have some sort of worm problem - as you can see the munched on leaves in the pic. I found these worms in the whorl of the corn (cutworms, army worms, corn borers??, not sure what). I kept pulling them out and killing them. Then I sprinkled pepper into the whorl and they stopped coming around. I even found one dried up and dead in there. So hurray for pepper, it worked for me!

Now I just have to survive the squirrels, raccons and birds. They'd better stay away from my corn!

Comments (15)

  • engineeredgarden
    15 years ago

    Yay! In no time, you'll be eating it - hopefully. Yep....looks like worm damage to me. Another pest to watch out for is the click beetle. It is very much attracted to corn and potatoes.

    EG

  • crystabel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    LOL I am out there all day scowling at anything that gets near my corn... :)

  • anniesgranny
    15 years ago

    Get that pot of water boiling, and we'll all be there!

    Granny

    Here is a link that might be useful: Granny's Blog

  • engineeredgarden
    15 years ago

    Granny - I don't know if you need any corn right now....lol
    Poor Granny.....

    Crystabel - I know the feeling. I watch my garden like a hawk.

    EG

  • anniesgranny
    15 years ago

    EG, you are sadly correct. So far it's toast, tea and just now, a bowl of hot soup. :-(

    Granny

  • mike_in_paradise
    15 years ago

    That is great.

    This was my first year to get corn and was the 3rd attempt. Of course I still have about 300 plants in the ground that were not done using square foot gardening and they are touch and go if they will make it before first frost.

  • Melissa Houser
    15 years ago

    Yay, Cristabel! I pulled my corn because it just stopped growing. Nothing I did helped it, side-dressing, companion planting, more composted dirt...so I gave up. I assume it was the heat that cooked all of my corn plants, so I'm going to attempt to plant more this month.

  • angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
    15 years ago

    Congrats, girl!

    LOL, on hand-pollinating daily... hahaha

    ~Angela

  • crystabel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Mike if your corn makes it you will have a bunch of yummy corn to eat! I only have about 9 squares worth.

    Granny - I'm only getting about 1 ear per stalk I think, I don't know if I have enough to go around to everyone here! LOL.

    Lissa, sorry your corn didn't make it. when did you plant it? I just put mine in at the end of July (too excited to wait for august to roll around) I just planted more this past weekend.

    Angela - just gotta do what I gotta do to get that corn!! :)

    EG - I know you watch your garden, morning, noon, night with a flashlight... :)

  • anniesgranny
    15 years ago

    Crystabel, that's why I don't plant corn any more. As delicious as it is, it just takes up too much space for what it yields. When I had a half-acre garden, I could do it, but not now. It's a mile to the nearest farmer's market, where wonderful corn is picked several times a day (they only pick two bins at a time, and don't pick again until those are nearly empty). It's sweet and fresh and $4 a dozen (up from $3.25 last year, unfortunately). I'll let them grow it for me!

    Granny

    Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

  • engineeredgarden
    15 years ago

    Crystabel - you left off one thing....If it's at night, I've usually got a loaded 12 gauge shotgun with me too! There...that's better.

    EG

  • crystabel
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oops, I forgot the part about the shotgun! LOL.

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    ROFL, I'm SOOO jealous crystabel. My godparents were here this weekend and they pointed out that corn starts turning sugar to starch from the minute you pick it, so the best corn always comes straight off the stalk. Wish I could find an awesome farmer's market like granny has!!

  • anniesgranny
    15 years ago

    carolynp, the NEW supersweets hold for days! I buy a half dozen, cook two right away, two the second day and two the third day, and day three corn is every bit as good as day one. Not so with the older varieties, those MUST be eaten right away.

    Granny

    Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

  • carolynp
    15 years ago

    That ROCKS granny (but would rock SO much more if I had a nearby source, lol)! Have you tried the 4/sq ft that Mel suggests, anyone?

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