This is my first year growing sweet corn in Virginia, and it's a disaster.
Of 32 once promising plants, a little more than half looks like they will
make it. Some got blown over by wind that reminded me more of October than
May. Others are now falling prey to some mysterious critter that ignores
tall weeds sprouting in other parts of the yard, and vindictively bites
cornstalks off at the base.

That's very disheartening--I felt OK coping with the wind by shoveling a
little extra dirt around the base of the stalks, but when you step outside
and the stalk is *completely severed* for no good reason, you're powerless.

There is now a sizeable gap in the corn area. What should I put in there?

It's too late for more corn isn't it? Pumpkins are doing great. It seems
like pumpkins add 2 leaves in one day whenever the sun comes out, which
hasn't been that often. Also, I have leftover pumpkin seed so it seems
natural to plant them.

Tomatoes could be doing better, but they are surviving. Nothing is
bothering them or the pumpkins!

Could it be that all this rain has left the corn stalks unusually tender,
juicy, and attractive to critters? If that's the case, I'll feel a lot
better about trying this again next year. We have plenty of squirrels, the
neighbors cats get into the yard, and there is a chipmonk that is seen
frequently. Rabbits, raccoons, possum, foxes, and deer live around here too
but they rarely leave the parks. I've been thinking that during a normal
season the stalks would have been tough and inedible by now.

Just for the heck of it I surfed to some of the professional corn growers
sites. It's somewhat comforting to know that eastern US corn growers are
also having problems with the rain.

--$teve