I’m thrilled with my corn harvest. Now, they were on the small side (about 7 ounces each), but as you can see from the above picture, they were absolutely beautiful! And delicious! I picked 25 ears out of my little corn patch.
Since I planted them at the same time, I had to harvest them at the same time, so the two of us ate corn every night for two weeks. I didn’t want to leave the ripe ears on the plants, for fear that the bugs might get to them, so some of them spent some time in the refrigerator. They held up very well.
But a fortnight of mandatory corn consumption gives one a new appreciation for succession planting.
Actually, I’ve always appreciated and understood the value of succession planting, and I do it with lettuce and beets and carrots almost every year. But corn, I was always told, needs to be planted in a “good-sized block” to ensure good pollination. Since succession planting in a small garden means planting a little at a time, planting a “good-sized block” every two weeks is out of the question. Pollinating by hand is the solution. As soon as the silks started to show I broke off a tassel and dusted them with pollen. I did this for about a week or so, till all of the silks turned dark in color. I don’t think the ears would have been as full if I hadn’t helped them along.
Next year I’m going to start ten plants every two weeks, from the middle of May till the end of June. I think as long as I plan to help with pollination, the results will be fabulous!
Bonus! I have a head start on my Halloween decorations!
Variety: “On Deck” from Burpee, Harvested from August 16 through 29. Yield: 10.03 pounds
