Corn

**Durgan** · 08-13-2010, 03:08 PM

13 August 2010 Butter Gold SE Corn 13 August 2010 Butter Gold SE Corn
This is the first corn picked. The cobs are good quality, but the taste is marginal when they were cooked. Corn has been so modified over the years, that the old taste of 20 or so years ago has disappeared, but the cobs can be kept for longer periods in the supermarkets , without losing their non-taste. My corn is a little late this year, since a rabbit ate the first seedlings, and replanting was necessary.

**Kellili** · 08-13-2010, 08:25 PM

Is there such a thing as heirloom corn like there is tomatoes? Maybe that would have better flavor? How many ears of corn do you get off say, 1 or 2 stalks? I'd love a garden but I don't have a lot of room or time right now.

**Ceashels** · 08-13-2010, 08:31 PM

They look beautiful.

I tried corn last year and asked my Mom to water my garden when I was away for a week.... it didn't happen and I came home to dried stumpy corn that never really did anything more.

**Durgan** · 08-13-2010, 08:33 PM

[QUOTE=Kellili;1402320]Is there such a thing as heirloom corn like there is tomatoes? Maybe that would have better flavor? How many ears of corn do you get off say, 1 or 2 stalks? I'd love a garden but I don't have a lot of room or time right now.[/QUOTE.

Two cobs of corn per plant is normal, sometimes more depending upon the spacing between plants. Corn is the last thing to plant if space is at a premium. To assure pollination the corn must be planted in a square possibly a minimum of 8 by 8 feet with a spacing of about 8 inches between centers of the plants.

Corn is all heritage, and new cultivars are offered each year. There is a lot of genetic engineering for various reasons. Most people don't know now how real corn should taste. Shelf life is now the mantra.

**hestlauss** · 08-13-2010, 11:42 PM

There are heirloom varieties of corn out there. I tried a Shoe Peg type last year but it did not do well at all. So this year I'm trying Hookers (Seeds of Change) grown by Ira Hooker of Olympia, WA, for over 50 years. The ears start white but are supposed to mature to a yellow and dark purple. Since it prefers a mild summer it should do well here. I only put in a 4'x16' block but so far almost all of the stalks have 2 side shoots so it will be interesting to see how much we harvest.