Thread: growing corn ?
View Single Post
Old August 3, 2017   #25
JRinPA
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 961
Default

Does anyone else here start their corn inside and transplant it?

Last year I did soil blocks, planted out after maybe 3 weeks old, worked great. This year I doubled seeded in soil blocks, planted out after 2 weeks. Three plantings, staggered two weeks each. I had some issues this season with the stalks forming, ended up curling into themselves, but I had enough that formed okay. Then under hoops and AG19 for the first month of each planting. I figured the half silk date for first planting as july 3rd.

Awesome harvest for us, picking 7-8 per day for two solid weeks. At least a week earlier than any local corn for sale. I figure the two staggered planting put the second stand about one week behind. Squirrels started hammering the stands after 16 days of picking, so I had to pull down the remainder of first and second stands the last couple days. Dozens in the fridge now... My third stand is still there but still young. I don't think that will stop the squirrels from destroying it though, now that they had a taste. When I check this evening I expect to find more damage.

I thought about hanging old CDs, read that years ago, but I can't imagine it helping at that spot, and would be an eyesore (community garden). Another thought was to make a wall with AG19 and basically wrap it when it gets ripe. It would be a pain this year because I have rows with squash running through it, but maybe next year I can do it with planting blocks and just one butternut in each block.
JRinPA is offline   Reply With Quote