Re: [gardeners] Another corn newbie question
Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 18 Aug 1998 00:50:06 -0500
Hi Alice,
The best way for me is to wait until the silk is brown and dry to the touch.
As soon as this condition exist get your corn. It is at its peak for a short
time. It is also best if you can pick it when it has been cool. I try to
pick mine in the morning after it has been cool overnight. However most
gardening tips say pick your corn no more than 2 hours before you cook it
for the absolute best taste. Sometimes that isn't convenient, so pick when
you can and enjoy. Your 4 yr old will be delighted. I'd like to see that
face when he or she is eating that first corn on the cob from the garden.
Allen
Bastrop Co.,Tx
Seyfried,Alice wrote:
> Well, a big THANKS! goes out to all who helped me in my indecision about
> whether or not to hand pollinate my corn. I have a 4 row X 10 plant
> plot (I have no idea what variety it is - bad memory, sorry) and a
> couple months ago wasn't sure if it was big enough or not. Well, Kay
> told me I should hand pollinate by taking some of the tassles and
> brushing them around. Others told me they just shake the stalks a bit.
> Well, I had originally decided to just shake the stalks and see what
> happened. Then I remembered that I had promised my 4 year old that we'd
> have corn this year, so I decided to go with Kay's advice. (Kay, you
> disappeared shortly after that conversation. I hope it wasn't anything I
> said). Almost all of the stalks (except a few on the edges that were
> more shaded) now have 1 or 2 pretty big ears on them. My question is,
> how do I tell when they're ready to pick? I have a feeling it's really
> bad to peak inside the silks, so I haven't done that.
>
> Thanks!
> Alice in London, Ohio (zone 5b)
> seyfried@oclc.org