Got the first harvest of corn out of the garden last night, I let me 5 and 4 y/o pick them. Got about 14 or so ears. Shucked it, cooked it and ate all of it last night.

Best corn we've ever had!!

Wow, that's awesome!
What kind is it?
When did you plant it?

Mine is just about waist high. It's a super sweet bicolor hybrid I planted the weekend before memorial day. I'm guessing it should be ready in August. I never had luck with corn before but this is the first time I'm trying the south side of my yard.

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It was silver queen corn. I've always thought it to be the best. I planted in Late march or early may, to be honest I don't really remember.

Mine didn't get all that tall and due to that the ears are shorter than what I expected, but taste great none the less.

SCGreenDude wrote:Mine didn't get all that tall and due to that the ears are shorter than what I expected, but taste great none the less.

Lack of nitrogen. Corn is a N hog.

How much and how often are you supposed to feed corn?

I've been hitting it with miracle grow about every 10 days with the rest of the garden.

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Ohio2112 wrote:How much and how often are you supposed to feed corn?

Boy, I don't know, I've never grown it - city lot just too small.
I can only speak from my father (truck driver) delivering liquid urea, anhydrous ammonia, and etc constantly to corn farmers around the midwest.

I've been hitting it with miracle grow about every 10 days with the rest of the garden.

Look into when to stop with corn. Might be important to do so once it starts to flower or tassel.

I'll look into it.
Thanks for the tip!

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FWIW - Here's a little blurb from my local weatherman's blog.

Heard from our friend John Hazzard who farms in Will County. John updates me on the status of crops out his way. He tells me the corn is already 112" (9.3 ft.) high--something which has happened thanks to supportive WX in just 10 wks. Same time last year the corn was just knee high! Rainfall's been high (18.61" since Apr 1) and low spots have standing water. Some soybeans have been adversely affected.

Now I know there is no mention about nitrogen ... but 112" tall already?!?!!?

What happened to 'knee high by the forth of July', LOL ?

bpgreen wrote:

GaryCinChicago wrote:What happened to 'knee high by the forth of July', LOL ?

Hybrids.

... which also love nitrogen, hehehhehehe!

The tallest stalk that I had was about 7 feet and they were that tall WAY before the 4th. I think I've harvested all that I'm going to be able to harvest. That was sooner than I thought it would happen.

I almost thought that I planted too much corn. I had about a dozen rows with 12-15 stalks in each row. Some didn't grow so well, some did decent, some didn't produce but most did have 1 or 2 ears on them. Most of the ears were small, but still damn good.

Next year I'm going to plant more!!!!!

SCGreenDude wrote:
Next year I'm going to plant more!!!!!

He's hooked, LOL!!

Seed catalogs start mailing out around Xmas, hehehehehhe.

SCGreenDude wrote:The tallest stalk that I had was about 7 feet and they were that tall WAY before the 4th. I think I've harvested all that I'm going to be able to harvest. That was sooner than I thought it would happen.

I almost thought that I planted too much corn. I had about a dozen rows with 12-15 stalks in each row. Some didn't grow so well, some did decent, some didn't produce but most did have 1 or 2 ears on them. Most of the ears were small, but still damn good.

Next year I'm going to plant more!!!!!

Did you plant all the corn at one time?
If you did, you might want to consider multiple plantings.
That way you get multiple weeks of corn at it's peak.

I only have 4 rows that I planted at the same time.
Next year I might do 2 rows a few weeks after the first 2.

Yes, Ohio, I did plant all at one time. I have almost the same plan. I think I'll be planing maybe 15 to 20 rows, each about 23 feet long spaced 1 foot apart which will be 20 to 23 plants per row. We love corn in our house! Can you tell????? One of the few things that my 5 and 4 y/o will plow down like it's nothing.

Think I'm over doing it a little?

And yes GC I am hooked!!!!!!! I tell you the corn out of our garden was the best we've ever had!!! And I don't order from seed catalogs, we have plenty of feed and seed stores around us to get seeds. I pay the same for the little seed packets in stores and get 3 times as much for the money.

Ahhhhh BP. You've struck a good thought there.

I still gotta say though moving out in the country was the best thing we've ever done. No HOA, no noisy and nosy neighbors and the ability to have a massive garden.

We're even thinking about expanding our garden next year. We got a little bit of a late start this year and next year we got lots of idea's of other things to plant. Plus we're going to start canning and freezing. Nothing like being self sufficient for me and my family especially in times like this when there's no telling where this country is going!

I'm finding out that gardening is all about long range planning. cover crops, crop rotation, soil building. then there's all the planning and shopping for the veg. crops. I'm reading up on potatoes for next year. I don't know where this country is going either, lost all faith in Wall St., cash is king. potatoes, beets, cabbage, corn in the garden--yeah, that's the ticket.

clay&crabgrass wrote:I'm finding out that gardening is all about long range planning. cover crops, crop rotation, soil building. then there's all the planning and shopping for the veg. crops. I'm reading up on potatoes for next year. I don't know where this country is going either, lost all faith in Wall St., cash is king. potatoes, beets, cabbage, corn in the garden--yeah, that's the ticket.

ABSOLUTELY C&C. I think we could get along!

We've just gotten ourselves one of these vacuum freezer bag things and soon getting canning supplies. next year will be a big year on the garden as this was the first year and a "learning phase".

There deffinitely isn't any telling about where this country is going. Being self sufficient seems to be the best plan of attack if everything really does go down hill.

In relation to that I was talking with the neighbors while I was helping them put up a fence. Husband grew up in the country and the wife grew up in suburb (almost city). They said that they talked to their parents about the great depression and how it effected them. The wife, who's parents and grandparents were in the city were highly effected and were hungry 24/7. The husband on the other hand, who's parents and grandparents grew up in the country, said that they hardly noticed what was going on. They were already self sufficient with gardening, cows for milk and livestock, chickens and everything else that goes with that.

That story really hits the spot doesn't it!