Knee high by the 4th of July

btulloh · July 04, 2021, 02:07:39 PM

Waist high, actually. Always good to see a nice field of corn.

Even though it's been kinda dry here, we've gotten just enough rain to get the corn off to a good start. Mostly spotty showers until a couple days ago when we got a bit over two inches. Just in time. I hope this pattern holds up for a while, but no guarantees on that.

Really nice weather here today. Perfect for a nice celebration. Happy Independence Day!

usflag

sawguy21 · July 04, 2021, 02:22:33 PM

Our corn isn't doing well, too hot and dry.

Southside · July 04, 2021, 02:59:21 PM

I am hoping for that tropical moisture at the end of the week. This last bit kept things alive, but the ground is still quite dry.

Chuck White · July 04, 2021, 04:07:36 PM

Fieldcorn is doing pretty good in this area, as is my neighbors sweetcorn garden, it's tossiled out already, no ears forming yet but getting there!

stavebuyer · July 04, 2021, 08:18:07 PM

I will be picking my sweet corn this week 8)

Larry · July 04, 2021, 08:59:10 PM

Raccoons can tell ya exactly when to pick it! :D

firefighter ontheside · July 04, 2021, 11:18:07 PM

I saw a lot of corn from missouri thru Iowa and southern MN that was not anywhere near an elephant's eye last week. Today I saw it anywhere from knee high to an elephant's eye.

btulloh · July 05, 2021, 08:21:43 AM

Quote from: Southside on July 04, 2021, 02:59:21 PM
I am hoping for that tropical moisture at the end of the week. This last bit kept things alive, but the ground is still quite dry.

Roger that. Nice rain last week and timely, but with the ground being so dry we're gonna need a refill every week or so. I haven't checked this morning, but it looked like the storm track was slipping to the east. I hope it doesn't miss us.

btulloh · July 05, 2021, 08:30:38 AM

Quote from: firefighter ontheside on July 04, 2021, 11:18:07 PM
I saw a lot of corn from missouri thru Iowa and southern MN that was not anywhere near an elephant's eye last week. Today I saw it anywhere from knee high to an elephant's eye.

I went by some fields here the other day that were early planted and they looked like elephants eye height and ready to tassle. Probably planted near the end of April. Mine is behind-corn, planted first week of June, behind the winter wheat, so it's doing well - as long as we keep getting regular moisture.
BTW - not many elephants here to measure by. How high is an elephant's eye in micro-furlongs? Is that measured with his head up or lowered or level? I need to get more familiar with the elephant eye rule.

Southside · July 05, 2021, 08:36:41 AM

Your wheat was ready early. How was the yield?

The problem with those forecasts are they are all made by "Computer models". Really? That's who we turn to for information on a hurricane? Guess there are too many on Instagram now they are branching out into meteorology. ;D

btulloh · July 05, 2021, 08:49:02 AM

The wheat wasn't ready. It clearly wasn't going to make enough to cover the fuel to combine, so he burnt it down and planted the corn earlier than normal. I hope the corn makes and he a gets good yield. Farming is a tough business.

GAB · July 05, 2021, 08:53:22 AM

Quote from: Larry on July 04, 2021, 08:59:10 PM
Raccoons can tell ya exactly when to pick it! :D

Larry:
You are lucky that your racoons are more patient than ours. Here the racoons attack the sweet corn 10 days to two weeks before it is ready. Last year my neighbor planted a small packet of pop corn. The racoons decimated it shortly after the ears began forming.
GAB

moodnacreek · July 05, 2021, 09:28:12 AM

I should be picking sweet corn from the first patch in a week. If I plant real early corn it can be ready by the fourth but it will have no flavor. Chipmunks are a huge problem here as they will dig up the seed or rip out the sprouts to look for the same. Plantings have to be covered with bird netting and sometimes they go under, even tunnel. They don't eat the seed but put it in their burrow for winter even if it is poisoned.

GAB · July 05, 2021, 09:34:12 AM

Quote from: moodnacreek on July 05, 2021, 09:28:12 AM
I should be picking sweet corn from the first patch in a week. If I plant real early corn it can be ready by the fourth but it will have no flavor. Chipmunks are a huge problem here as they will dig up the seed or rip out the sprouts to look for the same. Plantings have to be covered with bird netting and sometimes they go under, even tunnel. They don't eat the seed but put it in their burrow for winter even if it is poisoned.

You need to attend the PR and talk to Jeff about his thinning solution for those industrious little critters.
GAB

btulloh · July 05, 2021, 09:35:40 AM

Growing sweet corn sure is a challenge. Everything that flies, walks, or crawls is working against you. Then there's water. I used to do several acres of sweet corn, but gave it up a few years back.

I'm impressed that you can get some corn that early in NY. Here we used to shoot for eating corn by the 4th of July and that took some doing.

mike_belben · July 05, 2021, 02:32:26 PM

i have never succeeded in corn for one reason or another. this year i didnt even plan on a garden because a swimming pool project caused me to dig out the old one and i plopped the improved dirt elsewhere. well it came up in volunteer potatoes i just harvested today. as well as cukes, zuchini, squash and maters that are just starting to flower.

out in the woods i had put some deer corn out with dewormer in it next to my mineral site and they didnt eat it fast enough so much of it sprouted.

i figured what the heck, brought home a hat full and stuck the best of them in the dead spaces so it wouldnt go to weeds.

well ive never had a better show from corn. never had 1" thick stalks before or this deep of green.

i suspect its auntie liz at work. my wifes favorite aunt had given us her fancy, expensive bed when she was preparing to die from terminal cancer at a friends house years ago. the trailer it was in had a leak and it molded up so the frame was all that was left. i turned it into a bit of a decorative arbor for the wifes sake and she seems to be bringing good luck.

moodnacreek · July 05, 2021, 07:36:24 PM

Quote from: btulloh on July 05, 2021, 09:35:40 AM
Growing sweet corn sure is a challenge. Everything that flies, walks, or crawls is working against you. Then there's water. I used to do several acres of sweet corn, but gave it up a few years back.

I'm impressed that you can get some corn that early in NY. Here we used to shoot for eating corn by the 4th of July and that took some doing.

When I was a boy my grandparents [who raised me early on] grew 4 or 5 acres of sweet corn and it was much trouble then. Today you will not do it [in a small way] without a deer fence and electric to shock the racoons. And that's just for starters. This morning I see the chipmonks have started on the ears that are almost ready, shot 2 this afternoon, next will be gray sqrls. and then downey woodpeckers and raccoons . It is really not worth all the work and loss but there is something about tradition.

newoodguy78 · July 05, 2021, 08:34:42 PM

Some of our first planting didn't make it for the 4th but I'm very pleased with it for early season stuff, good sized well pollinated ears and the weed control is miles ahead of last year. If we get the sun I'm guessing by the 10th or 11th we'll be picking 👍. Not the first in our area but I'm happy with it.

Sedgehammer · July 05, 2021, 11:58:56 PM

My dad always planted 6 rows 1/4 mile long of different day sweet corn. Never had any issues such as you guys report. Course nearest woods was a 1/4 miles away

moodnacreek · July 06, 2021, 12:33:28 PM

Travis Trent [?] had a song 'Where corn don't grow' that almost brought a tear to my eye. It brought to mind that our farmers have a lot of pride in their efforts that some don't understand.