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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 23, 2010 18:12:33 GMT -5
Johno: Congratulations on your corn harvest. How long do you
let the sweet corn cobs dry down before harvest?
Do you have a feel for how soon after milk the
kernels become viable?
I'm growing an Astronomy Domini corn patch at my sisters
house. Last evening she went out and harvested some of it
and took it in to cook. She called me all worried, "One of
the cobs is red... And another has blue colored kernels on
it." I just giggled and told her about my AD breeding project.
She says that they tasted great.
I'll be taking my first Astronomy Domini sweet corn to
market on Wednesday. Thanks for the seed.
Regards,
Joseph
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Post by johno on Aug 23, 2010 22:20:19 GMT -5
Alan, it isn't very photogenic. I should have said 'not too many kernals on most cobs,' at least on the ones I hand pollinated. (The ones that weren't detassled did fine on their own.) I got occasional blue/purple kernals amongst the whites. Oddly, no other colors. I don't understand that, because I used pollen collected from at least a 20' row (of AD) at a time. The same method produced lots of color (and much better pollination) in the CG crosses. Of course, the Goliath had LOTS of silk. I wish I had planted a thick field of AD for more pollen. I also managed to get a few crosses using Goliath pollen on AD silks. Those pollinated well - Goliath produces lots of pollen! All together, I'll have enough seed to plant a just-big-enough block amongst a sea of AD next year. I'll be excited to see the difference between mother plants next year.
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Post by johno on Aug 23, 2010 22:48:06 GMT -5
Johno: Congratulations on your corn harvest. How long do you let the sweet corn cobs dry down before harvest? Do you have a feel for how soon after milk the kernels become viable? I'm growing an Astronomy Domini corn patch at my sisters house. Last evening she went out and harvested some of it and took it in to cook. She called me all worried, "One of the cobs is red... And another has blue colored kernels on it." I just giggled and told her about my AD breeding project. She says that they tasted great. I'll be taking my first Astronomy Domini sweet corn to market on Wednesday. Thanks for the seed. Regards, Joseph Thanks, Joseph. And your welcome for the seed. I usually let them go until the whole plant is brown and crisp. This year we had floods twice early during ear development, and I had to pick them as early as possible to avoid losing them completely to rot or mold. The Astronomy Domine was struck worst by this phenomenon, followed second by Country Gentleman. So this year I waited until the husk was brown and didn't take too much yanking to get the ear off the plant. In some cases, it might have been a little too early, as full color hadn't formed. But Now that they are drying, I can't tell which ones those were anymore. Fingers crossed... Goliath is easier to tell - the droop downwards when mostly dented. I'd say it's about a month after milk before the seed is viable, probably depending on a number of environmental factors. 6 weeks ought to be really safe. Did you get many salable ears by percentage? I haven't done a lot of selecting specifically for large ears. |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 23, 2010 23:48:47 GMT -5
Did you get many salable ears by percentage? I haven't done a lot of selecting specifically for large ears. Since AD will be the first of season corn at my local farmers market it aught to sell really well without much regard to the quality of the ears. (I normally allow people to choose their own ears, and by the end of market there will be a few left over that I sell at half price.) I planted two plots of AD: One is a breeding patch (with mostly 2009 seed) in which it is being crossed with three sugary enhanced sweet corns. The other is a bulk crop mostly for market (with 2008 seed). Before picking cobs from the bulk crop I am opening them. Anything that shows colored kernels is left on the stalk and marked with surveyor's tape for seed next year. I noticed one plant today that has produced like 8 nice ears between the main stalk and the tillers... Regards, Joseph |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Aug 24, 2010 6:18:47 GMT -5
WAIT JUST A SECOND!!!!!
There is a time frame for picking corn to save the seed? Mold and insects are major issues here in NC. We picked corn for seed when we saw the husks starting to yellow. We have to shell it now. Hopefully before we leave for the swap.
What sort of "signs" do you look for? Or do you just flat out wait a month then pick for seed?
Last year we picked for seed when the plants were completely gone. We saw that some of the cobs looked like peeled bananas with the husks pulled back like grass skirts around the base of the cob. Our neighbor told us that was an insect's doing but he didn't say what kind of insect. He DID say that corn would not grow from saved seed. Our saved seed did grow and did produce this year.
Is it possible to test what we brought in to see if we left it out long enough to become viable seed?
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Aug 24, 2010 8:48:21 GMT -5
Is it possible to test what we brought in to see if we left it out long enough to become viable seed? My strategy for testing seed is as follows. After the seed is dry... Place 20 seeds onto a paper towel in a plastic bag. Add 3 teaspoons water. Let sit for a few days on the kitchen counter. That gives me a good idea about how viable the seed is, and if there are likely to be any mold problems with the seed. |
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Post by mjc on Aug 24, 2010 9:35:27 GMT -5
WAIT JUST A SECOND!!!!! There is a time frame for picking corn to save the seed? Mold and insects are major issues here in NC. We picked corn for seed when we saw the husks starting to yellow. We have to shell it now. Hopefully before we leave for the swap. What sort of "signs" do you look for? Or do you just flat out wait a month then pick for seed? Last year we picked for seed when the plants were completely gone. We saw that some of the cobs looked like peeled bananas with the husks pulled back like grass skirts around the base of the cob. Our neighbor told us that was an insect's doing but he didn't say what kind of insect. He DID say that corn would not grow from saved seed. Our saved seed did grow and did produce this year. Is it possible to test what we brought in to see if we left it out long enough to become viable seed? Basically, you need to let it get beyond the 'fresh eating stage' to where it starts to be naturally hardening off and starting to dry down, before it gets hit with heavy frost, mold, excessive dampness, critters, etc. That's why for seed saving lots of folks let it get to the starting to get nice and dry, with well filled kernels and pick it then before it is completely dry to finish it inside. And the pealed back ears aren't from any one cause...usually it's a combination of insect damage allowing the weather to ruin the husk so the birds and other critters can easily get the corn...although raccoons can do a job on them, all by themselves. Corn should be viable by the time it reaches the milk stage...but at that point there are too many sugars and too much water to prevent the seed from rotting before it grows. But by the time it has started to get nice and dry (if it is sweet corn, it should start to look somewhat wrinkled, dent corn should start to have a noticeable dent in it and so on), you can pull a few kernels and put them between a couple of damp paper towels and look for signs of sprouting. At that point, you can let it dry completely inside... For harvest as feed, though, getting it all inside to finish off either requires huge space for drying or heated driers. So it is usually better to leave it in the field and suffer some loss to critters and weather than lose it all to being not dry enough for storage. Just keep an eye on the locals as to when they think it is dry enough...stop and look/ask as someone is harvest their cornfields. They may tell you or they may recommend moisture meters and other gadgets... |
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Post by johno on Aug 24, 2010 9:41:47 GMT -5
WAIT JUST A SECOND!!!!! There is a time frame for picking corn to save the seed? Mold and insects are major issues here in NC. We picked corn for seed when we saw the husks starting to yellow. We have to shell it now. Hopefully before we leave for the swap. What sort of "signs" do you look for? Or do you just flat out wait a month then pick for seed? Last year we picked for seed when the plants were completely gone. We saw that some of the cobs looked like peeled bananas with the husks pulled back like grass skirts around the base of the cob. Our neighbor told us that was an insect's doing but he didn't say what kind of insect. He DID say that corn would not grow from saved seed. Our saved seed did grow and did produce this year. Is it possible to test what we brought in to see if we left it out long enough to become viable seed? Relax, Jo. ;D There's not a window unless mold, etc. is a problem. You can determine this by taking a peek here and there when the first husks are dry. Under normal circumstances, just wait until the plants are pretty brown and the corn can dry in the field. I was saying that a month after the milk stage is minimum for the seeds to be viable. I believe a common determination for when ears are ready to harvest is when they are dry enough to 'snap' off when you break one downward from the stalk. When it's just starting to yellow may be a little early. Your neighbor is full of it, and/or doesn't know what he's talking about. Wrong on all counts... The 'peeled banana' effect is from birds peeling back the husk to get at the seeds. I'd hate to see the insect strong enough to do that! And, as you know, of course corn will grow from saved seeds.  Silly neighbor. As Joseph said, just germ test 20 seeds and multiply the number that germinate by five to get a percentage. |
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Post by mjc on Aug 24, 2010 10:01:49 GMT -5
I'd hate to see the insect strong enough to do that! . That would definitely be nightmare inducing... |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Aug 26, 2010 5:48:15 GMT -5
Well, what we gathered was all beyond the milk stage. So we should be good to go there. I'm gonna try your germination test Joseph. Maybe I can get it started later today. I really want to get it all shelled and freezer treat it for the lovely little seed beetles. As for the husk peeling insects, LOL y'all really got me rolling there. But I must confess, towards the end of the season we have some grasshoppers that hang out on the street corner drinking moonshine!!! Monsters they are!
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Silly neighbor.