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Post by martywny on Feb 17, 2020 9:19:21 GMT -5
Nice! Seems pricy though for 50 seeds! It is higher in price but then again, a novelty. The kid grew corn and they had it for dinner one evening, she was proud of herself so it was money well spent! I'm planting Stowell's Evergreen this year for me.
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Post by deckman22 on Feb 18, 2020 7:57:36 GMT -5
Corn normally needs at least 4 rows each way to achieve proper pollination, this is why I said large beds. I've tried growing it in small plots before and some of the ears did not get pollenated well so the kernels did not develop. This is because corn is pollenated by the wind not bees.
That said bees were over the corn tassels when I've grown it here. I figure that to be due to the huge amount of wild bees in this area. I also figured that was why my corn ears had under developed kernels even tho I had 7 rows with 15 plants per row, the bees got all the pollen! No exaggeration, there must have been 50 bees per corn stalk on each one. They would get so loaded up with pollen they could barely fly.
Nathan, if you are getting good yields out of your beds before I see no reason to change a thing. Keep doing what works for you.
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Post by gardendmpls on Feb 18, 2020 9:05:47 GMT -5
Your good pollination might be due to the corn growing across the way.
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Post by James on Feb 18, 2020 11:27:48 GMT -5
I always said: "Plant corn in rows spaced 32 inches apart. At least 3 rows and as long as you would like them." If you have a 4 foot wide planting area 8 feet long, try three rows. Space the seeds a foot apart in the rows. A single row of corn never seems to get pollinated properly.
If a patch of corn is planted too densely, the corn on the outside of the patch will get some ears, but that inner crowded corn will grow tall looking for the sun but never put on any ears. So plant as I said above and you will do well. Corn needs good fertile soil to make a crop. So fertilize, weed water and enjoy. Here the darned raccoons and skunks like to come rob the corn. At times a few birds will peck the top of the cobs. So I put a radio out in the corn patch tuned to the local talk station. This seems to scare off the critters.
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Post by deckman22 on Feb 19, 2020 12:52:44 GMT -5
Nothing better than fresh Ohio sweet corn. My fishing buddy from Iowa would always argue that tho, ha.
Next county directly south looks kinda like the Midwest, flat with miles of farm crops everywhere. Beside the winter wheat, soybeans, and corn the cotton during the summer sets it apart, no cotton in the Midwest. Sweet corn grows well there and local grocery chain, HEB, sells it pretty cheap too so I will no longer try growing it.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 5, 2020 11:14:20 GMT -5
nathan125, did you get your raised beds completed and filled? I keep thinking about your comment that you can walk barefoot on the wood chipped garden paths. You must have tough tootsies. Gardening and bare feet just don’t work for me anymore. Must be an age thing.
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Mar 5, 2020 11:39:48 GMT -5
deckman22,..."fresh Ohio sweet corn" … I don't know if I've ever had fresh corn from Ohio, but we sure did have some good corn when Mom and Dad and the whole family were gardening. There's nothing like the taste of just cooked, just picked corn.
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Post by James on Mar 6, 2020 13:48:17 GMT -5
Corn needs company if it is to get pollinated properly. I always say plant three rows of corn spaced 30 inches apart, and make them as long as you wish.
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Post by nathan125 on Mar 8, 2020 22:05:05 GMT -5
binnylou, I did not fill them all yet. It's a lot of work. I have built and filled a 4x16 bed thats 2 foot deep. I paid $120 for 6 yards of top soil dumped on my property. It's slow going but It feels good to get away from people and just work by myself.
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