I was just muttering to myself as I was in my little garden picking strawberries and weeding the corn and peas. Up here we say the corn is doing well if its "knee high by the 4th of July".
What on earth do you use for a comparison in Texas? Or is your season long enough that you just plain don't worry about it?
Katy
Random Corn ? for Wayne
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kate_ce1995
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katy,
I'm kind of surprised that you can grow corn that far north, but I'll bet it grows fast, once it gets going. The growing season here in Texas is several months longer than necessary, of course, and we grow longer growing season varieties.
The primary problem here, is trying to get the corn to mature, before it gets so hot and dry that there's not enough moisture left to finish the job. There are some irrigated areas in Texas, where they plant a little later, but here in Central Texas, without irrigation, we plant about the middle of February, because the earlier we plant, the less likely the corn is to run out of water before it matures. Normally, April and May are our wettest months, and June, July, and August get progressivly hotter and drier, (afternoon humidities in August are often in the teens).
We don't really have a similar growing stage standard to go by. Our corn is usually knee high by about the third or fourth week of March, depending on growing contitions. In a wet year, though, we can plant in April, and still make a decent crop, if the rains continue to fall on a fairly regular basis.
Our corn is usually at the roasting ear during about the first week of June, and it's normally dried down to about 12 or 13% moisture, and ready for havest, beginning about the first week of August, but it's so dry this year, that a few fields were already harvested last week. That's historically pretty rare, but the corn matured much faster than normal, this year. A lot of fields around here, will have very poor yields, however, due to the drought.
I hope your corn does a lot better than ours did this year.
Wayne
I'm kind of surprised that you can grow corn that far north, but I'll bet it grows fast, once it gets going. The growing season here in Texas is several months longer than necessary, of course, and we grow longer growing season varieties.
The primary problem here, is trying to get the corn to mature, before it gets so hot and dry that there's not enough moisture left to finish the job. There are some irrigated areas in Texas, where they plant a little later, but here in Central Texas, without irrigation, we plant about the middle of February, because the earlier we plant, the less likely the corn is to run out of water before it matures. Normally, April and May are our wettest months, and June, July, and August get progressivly hotter and drier, (afternoon humidities in August are often in the teens).
We don't really have a similar growing stage standard to go by. Our corn is usually knee high by about the third or fourth week of March, depending on growing contitions. In a wet year, though, we can plant in April, and still make a decent crop, if the rains continue to fall on a fairly regular basis.
Our corn is usually at the roasting ear during about the first week of June, and it's normally dried down to about 12 or 13% moisture, and ready for havest, beginning about the first week of August, but it's so dry this year, that a few fields were already harvested last week. That's historically pretty rare, but the corn matured much faster than normal, this year. A lot of fields around here, will have very poor yields, however, due to the drought.
I hope your corn does a lot better than ours did this year.
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Polly,
We wish! Due to the drought this year, the corn barely comes up to an elephants belly. LOL.
Love,
Tex
We wish! Due to the drought this year, the corn barely comes up to an elephants belly. LOL.
Love,
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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annie oakley
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harvest_table
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Hey, I've got sweet corn in my garden that's knee high too! Been gardening here 14 years and the last 2 summers were the first time it matured enough to eat. The trick in Alaska is to start it in the greenhouse late April and then transplant out. I think global warming has helped it mature faster in recent years and of coarse our non-stop daylight in the summer.tex wrote:katy,
I'm kind of surprised that you can grow corn that far north, but I'll bet it grows fast, once it gets going.
We also have peas, brussel sprouts, califlower, cabbage, variety of squash, potatoes, celery, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, beets, and kohlarabi. Tomatoes do great in the greenhouse, but not outside. Hubby's in charge of the vegetables and I tend the flower beds.
Check out this picture of a giant cabbage.
http://www.alaska.com/about/photos/even ... 2593c.html
Sure wish you guy's would get some rain down there...
Love,
Joanna
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kate_ce1995
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Well, I've only got 3 rows about 8 feet long (if that), so I don't expect a huge yield anyway! We just ran over to Home Depot and took the "flat" way home so the lumber wouldn't slide out of the truck, and I saw some fields here that are still so wet they aren't producing this year. They obviously planted as the higher parts are growing, but one field even still had puddles.
I think I got about a dozen ears last year. That was with 2 rows. So I upped it this year. We plant Memorial Day or so. Any earlier and there is the risk of frost. The peas can go in in April or early may. Those are producing some already...nothing ready to eat though.
Katy
I think I got about a dozen ears last year. That was with 2 rows. So I upped it this year. We plant Memorial Day or so. Any earlier and there is the risk of frost. The peas can go in in April or early may. Those are producing some already...nothing ready to eat though.
Katy
Jean,
Yes, I'm guessing that you probably grow 90 to 100 day corn.
Down here we used to grow 120 to 125 day corn, (it's better quality corn, especially for milling), but now we mostly grow 110 to 116 day corn.
Love,
Wayne
Yes, I'm guessing that you probably grow 90 to 100 day corn.
Down here we used to grow 120 to 125 day corn, (it's better quality corn, especially for milling), but now we mostly grow 110 to 116 day corn.
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.