Picking Sweet Corn

[RalphVa]

When I had the big garden, I'd plant 2 half rows of corn starting about mid April and on until about mid June about a week to 10 days apart, each 1/2 row. That spread the harvest out.

 

[Thomas]

About another month before the sugar corn ready to pick here.

 

[oldnslo]

Been so dry around here there is no sweet corn to pick. Went past three different farms that typically have fruit and veggie stands none of them had sweet corn and all the fields were maybe 4 foot high tasseled but no ears larger than a baby carrot.

 

[Thomas]

Been so dry around here there is no sweet corn to pick. Went past three different farms that typically have fruit and veggie stands none of them had sweet corn and all the fields were maybe 4 foot high tasseled but no ears larger than a baby carrot.

Old farmers use to say...corn knee high on the 4th July good year.

 

[Jstpssng]

Old farmers use to say...corn knee high on the 4th July good year.

Mine is about ankle high, hopefully we won't get an early frost. I've planted as late as July 4th with success.

 

[lman]

Head high here.

 

[bigtiller]

Mine was planted on April 16 and is mostly 7' tall, with some shorter & some taller. Some tassels are beginning to poke up and I even seen some golden silk growing out of a few ears.

Now if this drought would end the ears could produce some kernels.

EDIT: I just remembered something important, I haven't planted sweet corn for 50 years. I described my field corn.

Talk about a senior moment....and I started this thread!

 

[BoylermanCT]

Around here the farmer who gets the first corn crop to market gets the good money. Corn starts at $1 each and in a few weeks is 12 for $1. I love corn and have tried several times to grow some with limited success. Much easier to buy it!

 

[Jstpssng]

Around here the farmer who gets the first corn crop to market gets the good money. Corn starts at $1 each and in a few weeks is 12 for $1. I love corn and have tried several times to grow some with limited success. Much easier to buy it!

It used to be that if you wanted fresh corn you would put the water on to boil, then go out and pick it. Some of the new strains get sweeter after picking, so the above isn't as important anymore.

 

[oosik]

That's what the deer use to say when we had a garden. "Corn is belly high by the 4th of July - yum, yum, yum". The 'coons had a saying also but I don't remember how it went.

Now I get mine at the roadside food stands.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

My Granddad used to say that in Oklahoma, if your corn isn't ready by the 4th of July, chances is the hot winds will take it.

 

[oosik]

First corn hit the local markets last week. Something must be wrong - 5 for a dollar. Must be dry and tough. Usually the first corn is 2 for a dollar.

 

[CADplans]

My neighbor has had awful "bushy" looking corn for several years,,
this is a picture of his "secluded" field,,,

He does seem to have a lot of friends visit around November,,,

 

[CADplans]

These pics were taken in my garden several years ago,,
you could go out to the garden today and take the EXACT same pics,

I am amazed how exactly the same the garden has been for almost a decade,,
My guess is that the enormous amounts of organic matter that I added a long time ago has stabilized the garden, and the crops do not vary hardly at all year-to-year,,

My soil used to be dark only about 6 to 8 inches down,,
now, you can dig 3 feet deep in most of the garden, and the soil is dark colored.

The earthworms have really worked overtime for the last decade,,,

 

[Jstpssng]

These pics were taken in my garden several years ago,,
you could go out to the garden today and take the EXACT same pics,

I am amazed how exactly the same the garden has been for almost a decade,,
My guess is that the enormous amounts of organic matter that I added a long time ago has stabilized the garden, and the crops do not vary hardly at all year-to-year,,

My soil used to be dark only about 6 to 8 inches down,,
now, you can dig 3 feet deep in most of the garden, and the soil is dark colored.

The earthworms have really worked overtime for the last decade,,,

I give up. My garden never looks as good as those posted here; but now you're telling me you can even grow corn out of fenceposts!?!?!?!

 

[oosik]

And, corn out of treated fence posts at that.

 

[oosik]

CADplans - I think your neighbor may be purchasing his corn from the profits off his "secluded" field.

I suggest you stay away from those fields.

 

[MossRoad]

Old farmers use to say...corn knee high on the 4th July good year.

We used to say that in the spring as well as the corn was coming up in May/June.

Knee high by the 4th of July.

Truth is, however, if it's only knee high by the 4th of July, it's gonna be a very bad year.

Suff is usually 6'+ by that time around here.

It's about 8' in most fields now, July 26, in northern Indiana.

 

[MossRoad]

I've tried growing sweet corn several times. Usually the day before I'm gonna pick it, the raccoons have a feast. So we just purchase it from a sweet corn stand a couple miles from us. This guy grows quite a bit of it, and we usually have to wait at the stand for him to return with fresh picked corn. People buy it as fast as he can pick it. Pretty good stuff!