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Post by pattyp on Jun 3, 2009 12:30:28 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I know it is a bit early in the season, but I thought I would plan ahead and think about how to turn any corn I harvest into seed. (I hope I'm not jinxing myself here by counting my chickens before they hatch!) What is the best method to do so? Leave it on the stalk until it dries out enough to separate from the cob? Remove it from the stalk and dry it in a cool place? Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Patty
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Post by grungy on Jun 3, 2009 15:23:41 GMT -5
We let it dry on the stalk until it is due for frost. Then bring the ears indoors, pull back the husks and hang them up to dry longer. When they are fully dry you should be able to twist the cob like a dish rag (one hand going clockwise and the other going counterclockwise) and the seeds should twist out very easy.
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Post by macmex on Jun 4, 2009 8:15:04 GMT -5
We bring ours in once the husks are brown and dry. Then we work on shucking and shelling as time permits. Some corns are easier to shell than others. Some practically fall off the cob and we have one (Mesquakie Indian) which can really chew up your hands since it doesn't come off the cob that easily. I got into the habit of bringing corn in a little on the early side when we lived in NJ. There, the squirrels got to "harvesting" for me, plus we often had fall rains which could mold or cause the corn to start sprouting in the husks. Here, I think it would do fine if left on the stalk until well after frost. But we can hardly wait, so we stick with our "old way."
George
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Post by Blueflint on Jun 4, 2009 10:14:48 GMT -5
For us, it depends on the time of year (early or late crop). If it is late in the year or the deer and racoons are being rough on the corn, I will select out my seed ears and once the husks are totally yellow, I will harvest them, put them in a dry place (greenhouse or barn) with good air circulation and let dry completely. It is usually vary late fall or early winter when I shell off the seed, remove chaff and bag for storage. Refrigerate or freeze seed for best storage (must be completely dry first). Once corn gets to the "dough" stage, it is mature and can be dried from that point with good germination. If there are no rains or pest problems, then you can leave on the stalks until late fall before harvest. If you have quite a few stalks, be sure to select the strongest stalks to get ears from, the fullest ears, etc. Use the best.
Blueflint
Blueflint
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