I've got a few rows of corn in the back yard. They were coming up
nicely; beautiful, lush and green, and we'd actually managed to eat a
few ears before a sudden heat wave seemed to kill them off. Temps in
the triple digits the last three days turned them from green to brown,
although they were irrigated every day during the hot spell.

Now I wonder, should I pick all the corn as soon as I can and freeze
it? Will the plants "bounce back" now that the weather is more normal,
so I can go back to picking them only after the water has come to a
boil?

On a brighter note, the watermelon seemed to thrive in the heat!

-Frank

--
Here's some of my work:
http://www.franksknives.com/

On Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:03:34 -0700, Frank Warner wrote:

I've got a few rows of corn in the back yard. They were coming up
nicely; beautiful, lush and green, and we'd actually managed to eat a
few ears before a sudden heat wave seemed to kill them off. Temps in the
triple digits the last three days turned them from green to brown,
although they were irrigated every day during the hot spell.

Now I wonder, should I pick all the corn as soon as I can and freeze it?
Will the plants "bounce back" now that the weather is more normal, so I
can go back to picking them only after the water has come to a boil?

On a brighter note, the watermelon seemed to thrive in the heat!

-Frank

I'd pick it. My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less
than 2 inches long. Corn normally comes in at the end of July or early
August in New England, I didn't get anything until the end of August and
what I got was small an overripe. I've managed to get two meals out of my
corn field, I'm hoping I'll get one more meal before it all dies.

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:03:34 -0700, Frank Warner wrote:

I've got a few rows of corn in the back yard. They were coming up
nicely; beautiful, lush and green, and we'd actually managed to eat a
few ears before a sudden heat wave seemed to kill them off. Temps in the
triple digits the last three days turned them from green to brown,
although they were irrigated every day during the hot spell.

Now I wonder, should I pick all the corn as soon as I can and freeze it?
Will the plants "bounce back" now that the weather is more normal, so I
can go back to picking them only after the water has come to a boil?

On a brighter note, the watermelon seemed to thrive in the heat!

-Frank

I'd pick it. My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less
than 2 inches long. Corn normally comes in at the end of July or early
August in New England, I didn't get anything until the end of August and
what I got was small an overripe. I've managed to get two meals out of my
corn field, I'm hoping I'll get one more meal before it all dies.

Same here in Michigan. The unusually cold weather here kept my corn from
growing well also. The old saying "Knee high by the 4th of July" was a
changed to "Ankle high by the 4th of July" This year was a bust for corn
for me also. Three days this entire summer that got above 80 degrees.

Enjoy Life ... Dan L

--
Garden in Zone 5 South East Michigan.

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less
than 2 inches long.

I noticed you hadn't done any updates lately. I guess it didn't really work
out, then? I never got around to getting my pumpkins in, so mine was a "two
sisters" deal. My Chires baby corn did okay, but the sweet corn pollinated
too early, so many of the kernels ended up not developing. The ears were
from 4-8 inches long, and while a few of them were nearly complete, most
were comically random. (The kids loved eating the individual big, fat,
yellow kernels on each ear!) The corn field made for good grazing outside,
but we never had enough to make it inside. (Of course, with four kids who
LOVE garden vegetables, a lot of things never make it to the house!)

The beans, I didn't pick at all. Just let the seeds drop. We'll probably
have some volunteers next year. I've since mowed the entire field down, and
will plant clover and alfalfa there soon.
--S.

On Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:20:45 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less than 2 inches
long.

I noticed you hadn't done any updates lately. I guess it didn't really
work out, then? I never got around to getting my pumpkins in, so mine
was a "two sisters" deal. My Chires baby corn did okay, but the sweet
corn pollinated too early, so many of the kernels ended up not
developing. The ears were from 4-8 inches long, and while a few of them
were nearly complete, most were comically random. (The kids loved
eating the individual big, fat, yellow kernels on each ear!) The corn
field made for good grazing outside, but we never had enough to make it
inside. (Of course, with four kids who LOVE garden vegetables, a lot of
things never make it to the house!)

The beans, I didn't pick at all. Just let the seeds drop. We'll
probably have some volunteers next year. I've since mowed the entire
field down, and will plant clover and alfalfa there soon. --S.

I got the same results with my three sisters plantings as I did with my
conventional plantings. The corn plants were four or five feet tall in
both cases but the ears were tiny. My bean plants were eaten by insects.
The squash plants are large but they produced no squash. In the rest of
my garden I got a few peas but not a lot. The cucumber plants were all
eaten by insects, in past years I got lots of cucumbers. My carrots are
tiny also, but bigger than last year. The only things that were a roaring
success this year were strawberries and blueberries. I still have
blueberries, the bushes have been bearing since the end of June and they
are still going. I also still have the occasional strawberry. This is the
first year that I've gotten any strawberries, I credit the chicken wire
strawberry hats that I put on the plants. My tomatoes all came down with
the blight, however I was able to save them with Agway's fruit tree spray
which contains a broad spectrum fungicide. I'm saying goodbye to organic
farming, next year I going to Agway and get whatever fungicides,
insecticides and fertilizers they suggest.

On 2 Sep 2009 12:39:20 GMT, General Schvantzkoph
wrote:

On Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:20:45 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less than 2 inches
long.

I noticed you hadn't done any updates lately. I guess it didn't really
work out, then? I never got around to getting my pumpkins in, so mine
was a "two sisters" deal. My Chires baby corn did okay, but the sweet
corn pollinated too early, so many of the kernels ended up not
developing. The ears were from 4-8 inches long, and while a few of them
were nearly complete, most were comically random. (The kids loved
eating the individual big, fat, yellow kernels on each ear!) The corn
field made for good grazing outside, but we never had enough to make it
inside. (Of course, with four kids who LOVE garden vegetables, a lot of
things never make it to the house!)

The beans, I didn't pick at all. Just let the seeds drop. We'll
probably have some volunteers next year. I've since mowed the entire
field down, and will plant clover and alfalfa there soon. --S.

I got the same results with my three sisters plantings as I did with my
conventional plantings. The corn plants were four or five feet tall in
both cases but the ears were tiny. My bean plants were eaten by insects.
The squash plants are large but they produced no squash. In the rest of
my garden I got a few peas but not a lot. The cucumber plants were all
eaten by insects, in past years I got lots of cucumbers. My carrots are
tiny also, but bigger than last year. The only things that were a roaring
success this year were strawberries and blueberries. I still have
blueberries, the bushes have been bearing since the end of June and they
are still going. I also still have the occasional strawberry. This is the
first year that I've gotten any strawberries, I credit the chicken wire
strawberry hats that I put on the plants. My tomatoes all came down with
the blight, however I was able to save them with Agway's fruit tree spray
which contains a broad spectrum fungicide. I'm saying goodbye to organic
farming, next year I going to Agway and get whatever fungicides,
insecticides and fertilizers they suggest.

Don't give up - tomato blight was a problem for lots of areas this
year. Just plant your tomatoes in another location for a few years.

Beans like a lot of water - so do cukes. Neither like it too hot so
plant them early and don't expect them to be producing in mid July.
Insects won't bother healthy plants very much.

Carrots, potatoes etc need loose soil. I get bigger potatoes when I
grow them in pots - same with carrots. When I used my neighbors well
tilled garden, I got normal sized root crops.

There are lots of organic fertilizers you can buy or make on your own.
I used to use an organic liquid that seemed similar to my neighbors
Miracle Grow and I had good results with the tomatoes, which like lots
of food. Like every 2-3 weeks.

This year I played with liquid seaweed and did okay, althtough I
haven't been diligent. I also bought bat gauno which is still
unopened. As we baseball fans say, there's always next year.

My 7 by 10 foot corn patch did reasonably well considering the seeds were
planted late and the plot doesn't get a full day of unobstructed sunlight.

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:20:45 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less than 2 inches
long.

I noticed you hadn't done any updates lately. I guess it didn't really
work out, then? I never got around to getting my pumpkins in, so mine
was a "two sisters" deal. My Chires baby corn did okay, but the sweet
corn pollinated too early, so many of the kernels ended up not
developing. The ears were from 4-8 inches long, and while a few of them
were nearly complete, most were comically random. (The kids loved
eating the individual big, fat, yellow kernels on each ear!) The corn
field made for good grazing outside, but we never had enough to make it
inside. (Of course, with four kids who LOVE garden vegetables, a lot of
things never make it to the house!)

The beans, I didn't pick at all. Just let the seeds drop. We'll
probably have some volunteers next year. I've since mowed the entire
field down, and will plant clover and alfalfa there soon. --S.

I got the same results with my three sisters plantings as I did with my
conventional plantings. The corn plants were four or five feet tall in
both cases but the ears were tiny. My bean plants were eaten by insects.
The squash plants are large but they produced no squash. In the rest of
my garden I got a few peas but not a lot. The cucumber plants were all
eaten by insects, in past years I got lots of cucumbers. My carrots are
tiny also, but bigger than last year. The only things that were a roaring
success this year were strawberries and blueberries. I still have
blueberries, the bushes have been bearing since the end of June and they
are still going. I also still have the occasional strawberry. This is the
first year that I've gotten any strawberries, I credit the chicken wire
strawberry hats that I put on the plants. My tomatoes all came down with
the blight, however I was able to save them with Agway's fruit tree spray
which contains a broad spectrum fungicide. I'm saying goodbye to organic
farming, next year I going to Agway and get whatever fungicides,
insecticides and fertilizers they suggest.

Hmmm ...

The year I started to go organic, I had I terrible bug infested garden.
The next year not as bad, still had bug problems. The third year and
after, few bug problems of any major significance. I did have some bad
bugs eating my lettuce this year - ripped off the bad leaves - the next
week the plants was covered with ladybugs and I shortly after that I had
the healthiest looking lettuce.

Today my garden has a few frogs, spiders, ladybugs and worms, all of
which I now welcome with a smile. I never disturb those large spider
webs between my tomato plants. I no longer have the infamous tomato horn
worms. My tomatoes have never looked or tasted better. I have seen a few
japanese beetles but not enough for major damage. It takes time for the
slow moving good bugs to move in.

This also applies to the lawn as well as the garden. It takes much more
work to have an organic lawn than the garden. However, it is worth it in
the long run. It will take three to five years to get away from the lawn
chemicals.

My corn did not grow well also, due to cooler temperatures than normal,
not bugs.

Enjoy Life ... Dan

--
Garden in Zone 5 South East Michigan.

Dan L.;863463]In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

On Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:20:45 -0600, Suzanne D. wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
My corn was pathetic this year, the biggest ear was less than 2 inches
long.

I noticed you hadn't done any updates lately. I guess it didn't really
work out, then? I never got around to getting my pumpkins in, so mine
was a "two sisters" deal. My Chires baby corn did okay, but the sweet
corn pollinated too early, so many of the kernels ended up not
developing. The ears were from 4-8 inches long, and while a few of them
were nearly complete, most were comically random. (The kids loved
eating the individual big, fat, yellow kernels on each ear!) The corn
field made for good grazing outside, but we never had enough to make it
inside. (Of course, with four kids who LOVE garden vegetables, a lot of
things never make it to the house!)

The beans, I didn't pick at all. Just let the seeds drop. We'll
probably have some volunteers next year. I've since mowed the entire
field down, and will plant clover and alfalfa there soon. --S.

I got the same results with my three sisters plantings as I did with my
conventional plantings. The corn plants were four or five feet tall in
both cases but the ears were tiny. My bean plants were eaten by insects.
The squash plants are large but they produced no squash. In the rest of
my garden I got a few peas but not a lot. The cucumber plants were all
eaten by insects, in past years I got lots of cucumbers. My carrots are
tiny also, but bigger than last year. The only things that were a roaring
success this year were strawberries and blueberries. I still have
blueberries, the bushes have been bearing since the end of June and they
are still going. I also still have the occasional strawberry. This is the
first year that I've gotten any strawberries, I credit the chicken wire
strawberry hats that I put on the plants. My tomatoes all came down with
the blight, however I was able to save them with Agway's fruit tree spray
which contains a broad spectrum fungicide. I'm saying goodbye to organic
farming, next year I going to Agway and get whatever fungicides,
insecticides and fertilizers they suggest.

Hmmm ...

The year I started to go organic, I had I terrible bug infested garden.
The next year not as bad, still had bug problems. The third year and
after, few bug problems of any major significance. I did have some bad
bugs eating my lettuce this year - ripped off the bad leaves - the next
week the plants was covered with ladybugs and I shortly after that I had
the healthiest looking lettuce.

Today my garden has a few frogs, spiders, ladybugs and worms, all of
which I now welcome with a smile. I never disturb those large spider
webs between my tomato plants. I no longer have the infamous tomato horn
worms. My tomatoes have never looked or tasted better. I have seen a few
japanese beetles but not enough for major damage. It takes time for the
slow moving good bugs to move in.

This also applies to the lawn as well as the garden. It takes much more
work to have an organic lawn than the garden. However, it is worth it in
the long run. It will take three to five years to get away from the lawn
chemicals.

My corn did not grow well also, due to cooler temperatures than normal,
not bugs.

Enjoy Life ... Dan

--
Garden in Zone 5 South East Michigan.

when it rains the rain water usual ends up in the center column of the
corn plant so that it acts as a water reservoir. now im wondering how many ppl water their corn so that there is lots of water in the center
columns of their plants--me different times i forget to do that
so i cant talk lolol.
cooler temps in our area of southwestern ontario had put the sweet corn
crop behind and the cobs were a lot smaller in different areas other than
ours as well.
the field corn--or cattle corn as some ppl call it--is also behind. thank
goodness we have had some heat the last few weeks or so.
hopefully it will help to bring things along so that we dont have a really late harvest.
tc and good luck everyone with your corn. cyaaaaaaaaaa, sockiescat.