|
|
Post by oldmobie on Nov 18, 2018 15:13:28 GMT -5
 My little patch of grain corn didn't produce too well. I put it out in the driest part of summer, and couldn't seem to water it enough for good germination. So I'd like to minimize seed loss. It was also my first year with Day 's White Nighting. Only one seed germinated. It seems I should've planted it earlier. It seems to be viable, but it didn't dry on the stalks. I left it to dry in the house until it seemed dry enough, then put it into the same (open) ziploc bag as the rest. It was too soon. Now I have mold and germination, and some of the cobs seem to be shrinking and / or losing density. I put it into a flat to dry better, but wonder if I should do more. Should I shell it and put in the seed dryer? If so, should I keep the moldy seeds and soak the whole lot in something? If left on the cob, should I soak or spray with something? Or just let it dry and be choosy about what I save? |
|
|
|
Post by reed on Nov 18, 2018 21:08:59 GMT -5
I think I would just let it dry and then do like you said and be real picky on the individual seeds to save. Couple rows worth of good kernels from each ear should be plenty for next year. I would not shell it till it is nicely dry and if I had a choice I wouldn't save any seeds that were adjacent to the molded areas.
|
|
|
|
Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Nov 19, 2018 11:17:45 GMT -5
oldmobie: That corn looks fine to me, just like it is. Shrinking and losing density is fabulous. More shrinking please! I'd let them dry very completely (Perhaps a month in a warm place.) Turn them from time to time if you like so kernels on the bottom are less likely to mold. I don't worry about mold on precious corn kernels. My soil/air is filled with mold anyway. If you wanna see how bad it is later on, after they dry, you could run a germination test on 10 kernels or so. I have saved seed plenty of time from cobs with sprouted kernels. That sometimes happens when it rains on partially dried cobs. The rest of the seeds end up being fine.
|
|
|
|
Post by philagardener on Nov 20, 2018 6:29:42 GMT -5
Looks nice. I'd even get them out of that shallow box onto a flat surface, or better yet onto a grate (like that one sitting on the floor). The more air movement the better to keep the mold at bay. A fan can be really helpful, but be careful now not to spread old spores. Lots of folks strip and hang their ears from the rafters for good air circulation (makes it a bit harder for mice too!).
|
|
|
|
Post by oldmobie on Nov 20, 2018 18:35:46 GMT -5
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2018 6:23:10 GMT -5
My whole trailer is mold Mecca, I think in summer it's dry enough to dry things, so I hope my corn was still dry by the time I shelled it, the popcorn certainly was, I'm going to keep it in the freezer till I use it just in case some of it was moist, the first few jars left out didn't mold though. my uncle has since given me a dehumidifier witch has remedied the situation.
|
|
|
|
Post by oldmobie on Nov 23, 2018 17:00:37 GMT -5
My whole trailer is mold Mecca... my uncle has since given me a dehumidifier witch has remedied the situation. I think a dehumidifier is a great solution to help with seed drying. If it's there for the seeds, putting it and the seeds in a small room with the door shut could help boost the effectiveness. I actually have a seed dryer I made from an old lab incubator. I replaced the power cord and added a muffin fan and a thermostat thermometer. It works great, but getting all my cobs in there without shelling would've taken a wire basket or something like it. (That I don't have.) My humidity is low enough this time of year, if there's sufficient airflow. Sadly, I put my stuff into the ziploc too early, and of course airflow in there was insufficient. Other members on here use dehydrators with good success, but watch the heat. I think some can kill or damage the seeds by getting too hot. More about my seed dryer... |
|
