Corn Thread for 2014

journey11

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
8,470
Reaction score
4,228
Points
397
Location
WV, Zone 6B
Corn is ready! This is Delectable, bicolor (se) hybrid sweet corn. We picked about 30 ears today and the girls were eating them almost faster than I could shuck them.

I have a bit of an emergency question... The corn ear borers have appeared just today (been watching for them). Not much damage has been done so far, just needed to cut the tips off. Is there anything I can do to help the remaining ears that aren't ready yet? I thought of maybe using a syringe to drop a little mineral oil in the tips, but I wondered if there would be any harm in putting a little Neem or Spinosad in with it?

ETA: I also have some Bt, but it's a little dated and I'm not sure it would work...maybe worth a try.

IMGP7208_web.jpg
 

seedcorn

Garden Master
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
9,651
Reaction score
9,979
Points
397
Location
NE IN
I would just harvest as needed. All but one of ear worms are cannabolistic. They'll be busy fighting each other before they cause much damage.
 

journey11

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
8,470
Reaction score
4,228
Points
397
Location
WV, Zone 6B
I would just harvest as needed. All but one of ear worms are cannabolistic. They'll be busy fighting each other before they cause much damage.

That is cool. I did not know that. I did see multiple worms in some of the ears and just one big one in others. I was afraid they would ruin the whole ear. I didn't have them last year at all...must have been lucky timing.

I went ahead and hurried out to do the mineral oil before the sun went down on me. I ended up harvesting a lot of corn that I would have let go a couple of days more otherwise. My DH likes the kernals fuller and starchier. They were close. What we grilled for dinner was delish. The others that weren't quite ready at all, I put about 1 or 2 mL of mineral oil in the tip. I hope that was enough. I didn't have much left, but fortunately I had some on hand that I use to polish eggs with after washing. Hope it was enough to do the trick! :fl I've seen them chewing up the leaves of the shorter patch of corn on the other end of the garden too. Those I will have to spray soon as the rain lets up.
 

Hal

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
442
Reaction score
149
Points
153
Journey I only ever recall getting the worms in the sweet corn, never had them attack anything non sweet here.
I never treat them as they only get the tips and I grow far too much corn to treat.
Just thought you might find that interesting.
 

seedcorn

Garden Master
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
9,651
Reaction score
9,979
Points
397
Location
NE IN
That is the reason you only saw one big one. He made a meal of the others.......
 
Top