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Post by philagardener on Jul 25, 2014 19:42:10 GMT -5
I am seeing some interesting fruits in there. Suppose I need to look up how to know when they're ripe.  Think this one might turn orange! You may want to put an overturned saucer or a block of wood under this to keep it off the ground - I find that can help prevent a soft spot if your ground is damp. |
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 25, 2014 21:39:19 GMT -5
I am seeing some interesting fruits in there. Suppose I need to look up how to know when they're ripe.  Think this one might turn orange! You may want to put an overturned saucer or a block of wood under this to keep it off the ground - I find that can help prevent a soft spot if your ground is damp. I'm pretty inexperienced with pumpkins. I've grown them about three times, in low quantities. (Also pretty inattentivly.) So I didn't know if that was a still-green pumpkin, or a green-when-ripe squash. I was looking for diversity, when I found out my youngest son's science class was gonna build and compete pumpkin catapults. I conned him into gathering seeds from whatever broke open, so I don't know its history or pedigree. (The ones that are obviously ornamental gourds came from seeds we saved after growing a store bought assortment.) It's on cypress chips, and generally pretty dry. Think that's sufficient? ![]( "Right click to shift") |
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Post by philagardener on Jul 26, 2014 5:26:01 GMT -5
I was looking for diversity, when I found out my youngest son's science class was gonna build and compete pumpkin catapults. I conned him into gathering seeds from whatever broke open, so I don't know its history or pedigree. (The ones that are obviously ornamental gourds came from seeds we saved after growing a store bought assortment.) Nifty, but you didn't select for the long fliers?  |
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 26, 2014 13:05:57 GMT -5
Nifty, but you didn't select for the long fliers? Probably won't save seeds from this growout due to probable crossing with poisonous gourds. But I still have some of the original seeds. In the next growout, I may select heavily in favor of anything that appears more aerodynamic or has wings. I may develop pumpkins that grow vertically without staking!  |
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 27, 2014 12:57:09 GMT -5
First ears of sweet corn! Astronomy Domine. No early color, unfortunately. Pollination: fair/ pretty good. I'm kind of a sweet corn noob, but I know the thumbnail test for milk stage. I'm only checking plump ears with dry silks. Is that right? Several I started to open because the silks were dry on the outside, then I closed 'em back up because the silks were green inside. Suppose they need a little more time.  ![]( "Right click to shift") |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jul 27, 2014 13:45:46 GMT -5
I'd guess that those cobs are slightly past the best stage for fresh eating... I say that because some of the kernels are already starting to dent. I like to eat corn on the cob before denting starts because then they are more tender.
Plumpness of the cobs is my primary picking criteria. I grab a cob, if it is full then I pick it. If it is wimpy I leave it. Been a year since I picked corn, so I forget all the nuances of silk dryness and a slight yellowing on the tips of some of the husks...
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 27, 2014 14:12:45 GMT -5
I'd guess that those cobs are slightly past the best stage for fresh eating... I say that because some of the kernels are already starting to dent. I like to eat corn on the cob before denting starts because then they are more tender. Plumpness of the cobs is my primary picking criteria. I grab a cob, if it is full then I pick it. If it is wimpy I leave it. Been a year since I picked corn, so I forget all the nuances of silk dryness and a slight yellowing on the tips of some of the husks... You're dead on. Steamed 'em 15 minutes, they were good but slightly gummy. I may go out to the patch and re-evaluate. (Take my flagging tape too, in case I find any plants I need to save seeds from.) |
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 27, 2014 16:05:39 GMT -5
Found two more that seemed ready. The Astronomy Domine had a smaller ear as well, so I marked the plant "early" to keep earliness in the genepool. Looked for the plant that gave the first two ears, but failed to find it. Don't know if it had any left or not.  (Some plants have 4-5 ears.)  ![]( "Right click to shift") |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jul 27, 2014 16:20:33 GMT -5
Found two more that seemed ready. Yup! Better pollination too as the patch matured and produced more pollen. |
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Post by kazedwards on Jul 28, 2014 10:41:55 GMT -5
I just watched that Akbar video. It is funny. I can see why you used it.
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 28, 2014 22:25:11 GMT -5
Just performed my first vine borer-ectomy. Such technique! Like performing an apendectomy with a splitting maul. I suppose I'll either find resistant varieties or get better at it.  Rechecked the corn today. No more ripe ears, but I think I found an example of early color in my Astronomy Domine!  Oops! Literally didn't see the worm until I posted the pic. Guess he's still in there. ![]( "Right click to shift") |
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Post by philagardener on Jul 29, 2014 6:58:19 GMT -5
I use a flexible wire to probe the hollow in the stem and destroy the larva in an attempt to cause less damage (but it can be more satisfying if you actually extract it to know it is gone). Then I bury the cut surfaces and nearby nodes so roots can form. (I also do that to preemptively limit damage - if you encourage the plant to root at nodes as it grows out, you can lose part to a SVB but the rest keeps going).
(Also, go back and remove that corn borer larva before he gets more of your ear.)
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Post by oldmobie on Jul 29, 2014 15:57:45 GMT -5
Today's "haul":  Threw most of that in the compost. Steamed the good ear, along with whatever I could get off the others, which I put in a bowl. I wanted to taste the purple one. It was past its prime and tough, but tasty. Came from the area where I mixed Hooker's, True Platinum and Stowell's Evergreen. Guess it must be Hooker's. In the future, anything that sad looking will probably be saved for seed increase or dry storage. (I've always wondered if dried corn is any good reconstituted.) I'm a bit concerned about saving poor stock for seed. I guess I'll grow it out another year, so I can select the best seed from a larger pool. Maybe I'll put in isolated small plantings from it and detassle? ![]( "Right click to shift") |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Jul 29, 2014 19:59:02 GMT -5
I've always wondered if dried corn is any good reconstituted. Dried sweet corn is edible. At least the way I eat it is chewy because I dry it on the cob in the field, so it's way into the chewy stage before I cook with it. |
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Post by steev on Jul 29, 2014 21:32:01 GMT -5
They don't really grow sweet corn in Mexico much (a totally corn-centric cuisine), so even the young "elotes" are chewy; very good, all the same, grilled and rubbed with "limon" (called Mexican, or Key, limes) and salt. Mostly, they eat lime-treated dried corn as "posole" (hominy) or ground to "masa" for tamales, tortillas, empanadas, and such.
All things considered, dried corn is fine chow; can't make cornbread, polenta, decent rye bread, or proper fried okra without it. Granted, it takes a bit of processing, but have you ever eaten a fresh-picked olive? You have to learn how to deal with some things, to make them really palatable, like me.
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(Some plants have 4-5 ears.)
