THREE SISTERS

[Arielle]

Looked at the rareseed.com site for corn seeds and was not sure which to buy. Prefer having all the info on one page like sandhill does. THe downside of dial up I guess. Not sure if sandhill will ship this late in the season. Was thinking baker creeek would ship asap.

 

[Arielle]

Question for everyone. I noticed in the horse paddock ( 2 horses there) that a volunteer squash is growing untouched by the horses. THen looked at the growing manure pile. Yes, my horses are neat nicks and MUST drop their manure in an ever growing pile as they wont put their feet in it. IMMEDIATELY thought SQUASH!!! Is raw manure too much for the squash to handle? I can dig down and get to the rich soil underneath but maybe this is still too much raw material?? It has been building since winter and I would not plant at the edges where new material might get dumped on the seed/ plants.

Thoughts??

 

[Arielle]

Among the many interesting varieties at the rareseed.com site was this treasure:

http://www.rareseeds.com/stowells-evergreen-sweet-corn/
Review:
This was the second year I grew this variety. It does extremely well with little to no care. I planted them on March 15 both years and they finished producing about three weeks before it got too hot outside. My friends and neighbors were surprised to learn that they were an heirloom variety that produced so early. Especially when the news at the time was filled with stories about corn crop failures due to the heat and drought. Last year I grew them in three rows about 30 feet long. I planted them with squash and beans, letting the beans climb the stalks. I only planted about 50 seeds and just about every one came up. The ones in full sun grew the best, even though it got a little hot there towards the end. There were a few plants that became infested with aphids, but a little dish soap in a spray bottle cleared it right up. I was very happy with last year's harvest. This year was crazy though. I tilled up a 30X30 plot and cast planted about 300 seeds saved from the first year. It became a small jungle of corn about 6 feet tall and produced more corn than I knew what to do with. Everyone I knew was all "corned" out. I now have several pounds of seed that I intend to grow a food forest with next year. It may interest some of you to know that I had a several oddball plants that grew multiple stalks, sometimes as many as five. Each of the extra stalks grew out from the central stalk at the base, and produced an extra ear. I counted seven ears on a single plant, granted the extra ears were rather small. All in all, I am very happy with this variety, and will plant it as my primary corn crop for years to come.

Other reviewers naoted this one as VERY tall at 12 feet, and be sure to pick early before all the kernals are large because it becomes too tough to eat fresh.


OMG I want to grow more corn. Review each variety is like being a kid in the candy store!! lol

 

[Fluffnpuff]

Question for everyone. I noticed in the horse paddock ( 2 horses there) that a volunteer squash is growing untouched by the horses. THen looked at the growing manure pile. Yes, my horses are neat nicks and MUST drop their manure in an ever growing pile as they wont put their feet in it. IMMEDIATELY thought SQUASH!!! Is raw manure too much for the squash to handle? I can dig down and get to the rich soil underneath but maybe this is still too much raw material?? It has been building since winter and I would not plant at the edges where new material might get dumped on the seed/ plants.

Thoughts??

I'm not sure about the "hotness" of horse manure or what steps you should take.

Among the many interesting varieties at the rareseed.com site was this treasure:

http://www.rareseeds.com/stowells-evergreen-sweet-corn/
Review:
This was the second year I grew this variety. It does extremely well with little to no care. I planted them on March 15 both years and they finished producing about three weeks before it got too hot outside. My friends and neighbors were surprised to learn that they were an heirloom variety that produced so early. Especially when the news at the time was filled with stories about corn crop failures due to the heat and drought. Last year I grew them in three rows about 30 feet long. I planted them with squash and beans, letting the beans climb the stalks. I only planted about 50 seeds and just about every one came up. The ones in full sun grew the best, even though it got a little hot there towards the end. There were a few plants that became infested with aphids, but a little dish soap in a spray bottle cleared it right up. I was very happy with last year's harvest. This year was crazy though. I tilled up a 30X30 plot and cast planted about 300 seeds saved from the first year. It became a small jungle of corn about 6 feet tall and produced more corn than I knew what to do with. Everyone I knew was all "corned" out. I now have several pounds of seed that I intend to grow a food forest with next year. It may interest some of you to know that I had a several oddball plants that grew multiple stalks, sometimes as many as five. Each of the extra stalks grew out from the central stalk at the base, and produced an extra ear. I counted seven ears on a single plant, granted the extra ears were rather small. All in all, I am very happy with this variety, and will plant it as my primary corn crop for years to come.

Other reviewers naoted this one as VERY tall at 12 feet, and be sure to pick early before all the kernals are large because it becomes too tough to eat fresh.


OMG I want to grow more corn. Review each variety is like being a kid in the candy store!! lol

I would recommend both stowells evergreen and rareseeds.com. I've never ordered from sandhill, but I did notice they get a lot of bad reviews most of which complain of the order never getting there within a reasonable time. I've ordered baker creek for years and never had a problem. Alternatively you could try rhshumway under their "open pollinated" corn section. It will likely be much cheaper there.
http://www.rhshumway.com/dc.asp?c=172

What zone are you in? You might not have time for stowells evergreen to mature. I think it has around a 100 day maturity date on it. Stowells in a nice heirloom and it does indeed get tall. I think mine usually get around 10 feet tall and like the review said, there is a small window to eat as fresh sweet corn. After that you'll have to save for cornmeal. Given it's the end of june, the only heirloom varieties with the appropriate maturity dates that i'm aware of is painted mountain and maybe golden bantam.

 

[Chipper Chicken]

I am laughing at my self. Looked at this  p hoto 2-3-4 times and saw lots of lavender silk and barely the tips of the corn stalks!!!!  And wonders WHAT variety had such lovely purple silk?!?!?!    Should have taken the words? a few week ago" literally. lol

THE blue Hopi looks  like it is coming up very well. The seed was stored well.  How thickly did you  plant originally??

planted 5-7 seeds per clump, AND they ALL came up! I thinned to 2-3 (by pulling) I was amazed, not sure why I didn't think they'd do so well, but very happy with this corn so far. I had hung them from the husks in my laundry room. The smaller ones, like painted mountain I put in onion or potato nets.

 

[Chipper Chicken]

Question for everyone. I noticed in the horse paddock ( 2 horses there) that a volunteer squash is growing untouched by the horses. THen looked at the growing manure pile. Yes, my horses are neat nicks and MUST drop their manure in an ever growing pile as they wont put their feet in it. IMMEDIATELY thought SQUASH!!!  Is raw manure too much for the squash to handle? I can dig down and get to the rich soil underneath but maybe this is still too much raw material??  It has been building since winter and I would not plant at the edges where new material might get dumped on the seed/ plants.

Thoughts??

I remember my mother having us little kids collect all the What I remember vaguely as older dried out piles of horse biscuits so she could side dress her garden. Sorry, that's all I remember. I do know Rabbit manure is one of the few, if not only, manures you can plant directly into. It never burns from what I've been told. I bought some cages from a former breeder who said he always planted his tomatoes directly into the barrels of rabbit dung. Sorry, I know you have horse not rabbits, just thought I'd pass that along.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

I would recommend both stowells evergreen and rareseeds.com. I've never ordered from sandhill, but I did notice they get a lot of bad reviews most of which complain of the order never getting there within a reasonable time. I've ordered baker creek for years and never had a problem. Alternatively you could try rhshumway under their "open pollinated" corn section. It will likely be much cheaper there.
http://www.rhshumway.com/dc.asp?c=172

What zone are you in? You might not have time for stowells evergreen to mature. I think it has around a 100 day maturity date on it. Stowells in a nice heirloom and it does indeed get tall. I think mine usually get around 10 feet tall and like the review said, there is a small window to eat as fresh sweet corn. After that you'll have to save for cornmeal. Given it's the end of june, the only heirloom varieties with the appropriate maturity dates that i'm aware of is painted mountain and maybe golden bantam.

Looked at sandhill. THey have a variety of sweet corn that only takes 60 days; and a many of the shorter day flint/popcorn types are not available but they have sooooo many more choices than Baker creek I will take the risk. I understand they are a hobby farm, and I'm willing to be patient. ( I work in order fulfillment, and I'll tell you, that job is hell; we can never work fast enough; so I"m ok with several weeeks to get items to me.)

I looked at Stowells. Why I have a problem with white corn IDK. Perhaps it is because my mother only planted yellow corn, or butter and sugar. FUnny how childhood experiences influence preferences. lol I definitely need to clear more area for corn!!

Zone 5b or 6a ; on the northern slope of a hill leading to a river so we tend to be a bit cooler than the neighbors on the south side of the hill.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
Nicely stored seed!! What you did certainly worked to keep the germination rate high. So at 5-7 seeds then down to 2-3 per hill. How big are the hills, as in how far apart are the 2-3 after thinnning? ANd how far apart are the hills??

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
ROFL I side dressed the squash rows with manure, so I 'm on the same track as your mother. Yes, rabbit is a rare manure that can be used as is. I brought up using the horse manure as the squash and possible the corn seem to like the fresh stuff where as other crops definitely need the composted manure. I might just trial it as I have the seed and see what happens. ( I do have one rabbit! )

 

[lazy gardener]

Those little rabbit pellets make an excellent inoculant and fertilizer when putting plants in an aquarium. I don't have an aquarium running any more. (At one time, I was raising angel fish, and had 12 tanks running!) But, rabbits are an intriguing option for increasing the family protein. No crowing!