Re: [gardeners] Corn is falling over
Kay Lancaster (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 29 Jun 1998 11:36:08 -0700 (PDT)
On Mon, 29 Jun 1998, Seyfried,Alice wrote:
> I planted a small plot of corn (5 rows, 12 plants each) this year for
> the first time and the recent storms we've been having are taking their
> toll on them. On Saturday, they were leaning at about a 45 degree angle.
> I'm afraid to go out there tonite to see what the storms we had last
> night did to them. Should I prop them up and mound some dirt around the
> base to give them a little more stability? Are they hopeless?
They'll actually straighten up on their own. Are they big enough that
they've started to tassel? If they are, and the ears are actually down
in the soil, I'd slip some cardboard or newspaper under the plants
and hand pollinate. If they've not gotten as far as tasseling, they'll
probably straighten enough that you won't need the cardboard or newspaper
underneath to keep the ears off the ground.
Kay Lancaster kay@fern.com
just west of Portland, OR; USDA zone 8 (polarfleece)