Post by canadamike on Nov 17, 2011 19:13:57 GMT -5
OK, this tittle is a bit odd, but it is all my knowledge of english permitted me to sum up in a short sentence what I wanted to say to catch attention.
I welcome any better idea.
My point is that I learned about a trick used by a wise guy to grow corn with much more heat units than permitted in his area, around 400 canadian units to be specific, or 200+ americans.
We did a very serious trial of it, about 25 acres if I remember well, maybe more, maybe less a bit, but I am in the ball park...
The guy lives in a 1900 canadian heat unit zone, so about 1550 american, high in a mountainous area close to the american border in Quebec, we actually see the USA Appalachians from there.
It was sileage corn, so he wanted our 2175 canadian heat units corn, not having to get it totally dried up. We had none left and sold him 2350 HU, providing him with foliar potassium.
The corn grew so amazingly that he could have harvested it for grains.
It was even ready before his 1900 HU corn, just across the fence, but with MUCH MORE PROTEIN. His sileage gave 9.4% protein compared to 4.5% on the corn across the fence. Most ofthe ears were around 12 inches long, as opposed to 6 inches for the other one.
This is remarquable for such a bad year for protein, wich is low in almost everything but hay. This shitty year, all crops around here are around minus 30-35% than usual in terms of protein, alfalfa included.
But the most interesting experiment was done elsewhere, we did it for the fun of it, having nothing to lose.
In St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, around 2500HU, we planted corn ON JULY 11, 2 FULL MONTHS TOO LATE, AND WE PLANTED 2800 HEAT UNITS CORN. A pure recipe for disaster.
There is only a very small area in Quebec, close to Ontario, where one can seed 2800 HU corn, in a microclimate close to the St-Laurence river.
Guess what?? THE CORN MADE IT. It is dried and beautiful and with 11.5% protein in it.
Agreed, it was an experiment, and we sprayed it with seaweed twice a week and then with liquid calcium and potassium, but we proved a point.
We basically have stretched the frontier of corn growing a lil'further up north, or proved a longer to mature corn ( usually higher in protein) can be grown in a region supposedly without enough heat units.
For most here, it does not mean a lot, but for people trying to bring sweet corn to be dry enough early enough, I think it means hope...
I have just secured an organic OMRI approved source of soluble potassium for my organic friends, what we used was conventional, wich I am not really ( but I need to make a living) so there will be trials next year.
I have friends in France doing researdh on OP corn, and they told me beet leaf is a high source of potassium. So for those with smaller plots, think about beat leaf tea...there are others too mind you...
I welcome any better idea.
My point is that I learned about a trick used by a wise guy to grow corn with much more heat units than permitted in his area, around 400 canadian units to be specific, or 200+ americans.
We did a very serious trial of it, about 25 acres if I remember well, maybe more, maybe less a bit, but I am in the ball park...
The guy lives in a 1900 canadian heat unit zone, so about 1550 american, high in a mountainous area close to the american border in Quebec, we actually see the USA Appalachians from there.
It was sileage corn, so he wanted our 2175 canadian heat units corn, not having to get it totally dried up. We had none left and sold him 2350 HU, providing him with foliar potassium.
The corn grew so amazingly that he could have harvested it for grains.
It was even ready before his 1900 HU corn, just across the fence, but with MUCH MORE PROTEIN. His sileage gave 9.4% protein compared to 4.5% on the corn across the fence. Most ofthe ears were around 12 inches long, as opposed to 6 inches for the other one.
This is remarquable for such a bad year for protein, wich is low in almost everything but hay. This shitty year, all crops around here are around minus 30-35% than usual in terms of protein, alfalfa included.
But the most interesting experiment was done elsewhere, we did it for the fun of it, having nothing to lose.
In St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, around 2500HU, we planted corn ON JULY 11, 2 FULL MONTHS TOO LATE, AND WE PLANTED 2800 HEAT UNITS CORN. A pure recipe for disaster.
There is only a very small area in Quebec, close to Ontario, where one can seed 2800 HU corn, in a microclimate close to the St-Laurence river.
Guess what?? THE CORN MADE IT. It is dried and beautiful and with 11.5% protein in it.
Agreed, it was an experiment, and we sprayed it with seaweed twice a week and then with liquid calcium and potassium, but we proved a point.
We basically have stretched the frontier of corn growing a lil'further up north, or proved a longer to mature corn ( usually higher in protein) can be grown in a region supposedly without enough heat units.
For most here, it does not mean a lot, but for people trying to bring sweet corn to be dry enough early enough, I think it means hope...
I have just secured an organic OMRI approved source of soluble potassium for my organic friends, what we used was conventional, wich I am not really ( but I need to make a living) so there will be trials next year.
I have friends in France doing researdh on OP corn, and they told me beet leaf is a high source of potassium. So for those with smaller plots, think about beat leaf tea...there are others too mind you...