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Post by jondear on Sept 20, 2014 22:11:23 GMT -5
I got 2 packets of Abenaki Rose Corn at the Common Ground Fair today from Groundswell Seed Farms booth. Their pics show a red capped flint corn. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it I kind of feel it has suffered from inbreeding depression, based on what I've read about it. I could go either way, keeping with its dry corn heritage, or maybe I could throw some sweet corn genes at it and select for that. Guess I have some time to think about it, since I won't be planting it until spring.
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Post by jondear on May 30, 2015 19:38:17 GMT -5
After thinking I wasn't going to be able to try a grain corn crop this year due to having run out of room, I ended up with an area about 30 x 70 to plant in. So in part of it I planted both Abenaki Rose Flint and Hopi Blue. I would have planted it a couple of weeks ago if I had known I could use that plot.
I don't know if the they'll shed pollen together or not, but I'm hoping to get some crossing.
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Post by DarJones on May 30, 2015 20:26:08 GMT -5
Hopi Blue is relatively long season. I suspect Abenaki Rose will be short. If you want to ensure a few crosses, plant a few seed of Abenaki Rose 10 days from now.
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Post by jondear on May 31, 2015 11:35:37 GMT -5
I suspect you're right Dar. Unfortunately I planted them all.
Maybe I can speed up an adjacent row of the Hopi blue by a few days with a row cover over hoops to some degree. Worth a shot I suppose.
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Post by grano on May 31, 2015 12:50:12 GMT -5
What is your purpose in crossing these two varieties?
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Post by jondear on May 31, 2015 13:28:57 GMT -5
Mostly just to see what happens.
Things I would like to see for my location are :
• reliable production • higher ear height to lessen loss to critters • larger kernels
I really didn't have an outcome in mind. These seeds were an impulse purchase for sure. If one is leaps and bounds better than the other, I may buy more seed for next year to add to my saved seed.
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Post by jondear on Jun 16, 2015 19:23:58 GMT -5
I planted a row of Japonica Striped maize 10 days after the rest of them. (I might detassel it... Not sure yet.) Just as the rest were emerging. Looks like a good stand so far, up about 2 inches last time I was there.
Do any of you undersow legumes in your grain corn? I was thinking some peas or lentils instead of clover, right down the center of the paths. I could kill them if moisture becomes an issue. Just wondering what you guys and gals do.
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Post by steev on Jun 16, 2015 19:50:59 GMT -5
By the time my corn is up, peas and lentils have the chance of a snow-ball in hell; cowpeas or teparies might work for me.
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Post by jondear on Aug 19, 2015 21:03:51 GMT -5
I ended up growing peas and lentils and plenty of weeds for next years fertility on a fallow 1000 sq feet of garden. I think I'll til it in and replant another round.
With the late planting and a less than stellar growing season, my grain corn is just now tasseling. I'm seeing a few silks on both Abenaki Rose and Hopi Blue as of today. Here's hoping for an extended fall and good drying weather. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get my seed back.
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Post by jondear on Sept 13, 2015 16:21:08 GMT -5
I might get some mature seed!! this ear of hopi blue was picked just a little while ago. I picked it because the ear extended beyond the husk.
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Post by jondear on Sept 27, 2015 17:05:13 GMT -5
Abenaki Rose with many kernels crossed with Hopi Blue. The three corns I grew this year. Abenaki Rose, Hopi Blue and Japonica Stripped Maize. I did end up detassling the Japonica. speckles on the Hopi Blue speckles from the blue showing up in the Abenaki Rose a 12 row ear. the rest are 8 rows These ears were the ripest ears of the bunch. They were calling for cold weather so I grabbed some ears for seed. Hopefully I get the rest to mature enough to use as food. I'm not even sure what I'll try with it. I guess i want to see if hominy is a pita or not.
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Post by flowerweaver on Sept 28, 2015 6:45:06 GMT -5
Fabulous looking ears jondear--I like the speckling on the AR.
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Post by jondear on Sept 28, 2015 22:18:15 GMT -5
I'll save them separate for someone to grow out if anybody is interested.
The more I look at the crossed seed, the more differences I see. There is one color that isn't as dark as the rest. It looks like they are clear coated and metallic. After dissecting a few and comparing to the darker ones, it appears to be a lighter aleurone color. In the sunlight, the Hopi shows a fair bit of difference so I guess that makes sense.
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Post by steev on Sept 28, 2015 23:48:51 GMT -5
I'd certainly be interested, but these drought years have been terrible for corn, and I already have dozens of varieties that are doubtless losing vigor for lack of planting out; I certainly hope the predictions of El Nino pan out, early-heavy-rain-wise, but Richardw has sent data that looks credibly like this is likely to be another El Nino that fails to pan out.
I spoke to a farm-neighbor last week; he said our valley got 125% of normal rainfall last season; these things are so often really a matter of very localized conditions; well, that's where landrace farming and time-on-site come in.
In any event, the weather cooling, I will go into over-drive to re-claim fallowed planting lanes, looking for a good production of cool-weather veg and Fall-planted grains/legumes, being readied for late-Spring planting of Summer crops; if El Nino is a dud, it won't be the first time I've gotten all dressed up with nowhere to go; like Earth, with the first five Great Extinctions, life goes on.
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