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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Feb 28, 2014 17:44:19 GMT -5
Hey guys just curiously how tall did your Peruvian corn grow? Ten feet, and it still hadn't tasseled when killed by frost. |
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Post by stillman on Mar 1, 2014 14:50:04 GMT -5
Mine are at about 260cm which I guess is about 8 and a bit feet really thick stems and forming massive brace roots. I don't get frost here my winter is really mild so assuming I can get decent pollination with the few plants I am growing I at least have the luxury of allowing them time to ripen on the stalk. I have them well braced in case of strong wind.
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Post by mountaindweller on Mar 2, 2014 21:19:25 GMT -5
Where did you get your Peruvian corn? It might be from the Peruvian uplands, not exactly Brisbane climate. I have gron a very varied and very beautiful flour corn this year and wanted to buy some more seeds at Southern Harvest but they don't have them anymore. I really had a problem with mice and you might have the same problem, but your plants are higher and I don't know how high mice climb. I think the corn growing in Australia gets off.
You could give away some seeds and at the end of the year you mix together all your seeds.
If you want I can send you some seeds, a small variety for cool climates, but I can't find the name.
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Post by stillman on Mar 3, 2014 15:05:27 GMT -5
The corn I currently have in the ground was called Morado has the really black kernels. The other three varieties are kind of pink to purple in colour, I'm asking the source of the seeds a little more about them currently. One is labelled "mercudor" and this I recently found out comes from Bolivia? If I can get a few ears out of the "Morado" that I currently have growing I would really like to send a few out. I'm currently reading a book called Beautiful corn by Anthony Boutard. Its been really helpful helping me understand a little more about corn. I'll put a post up in this thread when I have seed to share.
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Post by maicerochico on Mar 4, 2014 13:29:12 GMT -5
Personally, I wouldn't bother with Andean corns unless you are going to cross them with something else. They are very narrowly adapted to high elevations in the Andes where it is cool and dry, with plenty of irrigation. They don't do well anywhere else, mainly because of their extreme susceptibility to ear molds and a strong tendency to not produce seeds outside of their native range. They don't tolerate heat either and only perform well at around 68 - 77 degrees Fahrenheit for a high and 48 - 58 degrees Fahrenheit for a low. Granted, the plants and ears are beautiful, but practicality beats out beauty in this case. For reference, I have grown 9 different varieties of Andean corn at a north latitude comparable to Victoria, and none of them made a single seed. The only population I know of that will give you good results in a mild climate is this one: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1346629You will have to order it from the United States Department of Agriculture, however. Sorry for being a buzz kill, but of all the different kinds of corn that I've grown, Andean ones are my least favorite. |
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Post by stillman on Mar 4, 2014 14:44:32 GMT -5
We can't legally import corn seed into Australia Maicerochico. I'm in Queensland Australia, My day period is ideal for cultivars/ landraces grown at lower altitudes I guess I have to work out what will adapt to my specific climate. heres a pick of the hill with my morado as a test so far they look like ok its wether they want to tassel and set seed I guess.   |
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Post by stillman on Mar 4, 2014 14:46:13 GMT -5
there just over 3 metres at 44 days since germination. One looks like it may want to start to though the start of ears? I will update as they mature.
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Post by templeton on Mar 4, 2014 23:03:32 GMT -5
Wow. Nice stalks
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Post by stillman on Mar 5, 2014 3:34:47 GMT -5
No frost here so fingers crossed they will tassel and I can get some sort of seed from them to add to my big genetic soup of South American genetics.
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Post by stillman on Mar 8, 2014 18:39:23 GMT -5
2 plants started showing tassels and one has a little silk exposed from a ear leaf. I will be doing my best to hand pollinate these two plants over the next week or so. How long does corn silk and pollen stay active generally?
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Post by stillman on Mar 15, 2014 17:09:23 GMT -5
I have tassels and silks and it looks like it will set some ears, how patchy they are will be the great unknown, but there has been a lot of pollen shed and I have attempted to hand pollinate to an extend, the greatest issue is the ears and tassels are so high and I can only comfortably put a short ladder in the area that I have them growing so bit of a james bond move to get the job done but no fall yet lol. If I can get enough seed I am really excited to then use this is a base for some of my dark kernel landrace. This variety albeit about 13 feet tall is producing what looks like long and hopefully heavy cobs. Now just got to hope the weather and animals are kind to me. I'll keep you posted.
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Post by stillman on Mar 15, 2014 17:13:33 GMT -5
  Taken a couple days ago. |
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Post by jondear on Mar 15, 2014 21:28:09 GMT -5
It looks like it's about time to set up scaffolding. Nice...
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Post by stillman on Mar 16, 2014 16:40:44 GMT -5
 Longest ear there should be two good ones on the biggest plant and one on each of the other, all plants are shedding and silking currently so I am hopeful of reasonable pollination. |
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coppice
gardener
gardening curmudgeon
Posts: 149
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Post by coppice on Mar 17, 2014 6:34:21 GMT -5
Hey guys just curiously how tall did your Peruvian corn grow? Its the front of his fall, so the season may not be done yet. |
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