Stubbornhillfarm
Attractive To Bees
Now that's some corn! Great job!
Me and the Corn!
- Thread starter baymule
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #12
baymule
Garden Master
Yeah, I wanted to get a picture before it rained!digitS' said:
The dogs at least had sense enough to be scared. 
- Thread starter
- #14
baymule
Garden Master
Today it was time to do something with the corn. Ever do something brilliant, only for it to be a really dumb thing to do? I planted Violets Multi-colored Butterbeans in the corn, on a trellis too, but I planted some in the corn. The brilliant part--beans fix nitrogen in the soil, corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder. 
So far, so good. The beans could run up the corn stalks. Another brilliant move. 
The corn and butterbeans grew. Uhhh....... the corn grew TWELVE FEET TALL!! Lots and lots of long, very green corn leaves that the butter beans played hide 'n seek in. I have only gotten 2 very small pickin's of butterbeans, but I could see this had all the makings of a garden train wreck. 
Not feeling so very brilliant right about now. 
I planted this corn with the idea of letting it dry out so I could make cornmeal. It was about half dry. It had dents in the top of the kernels, but not dry and hard. But this is southeast Texas where it is HOT -- a good thing for drying corn.
But refer back to that southeast part. It is also HUMID and that is not good for drying corn. 
The shucks were getting black mildew and moldy spots on them. If I waited for the corn to get really dry, it would probably rot before it got dry. 
I made the executive decision to cut the corn. :tools I pulled the ears of corn and stacked in a milk crate. Then I selected stalks that had butterbeans running up them and carefully unwound some of the vines so I could lop off the stalk tops to about 5 feet tall. Some I lopped off at the ground. Parker and Polly, the dogs, helped. They chewed dry corn leaves to shreds and made a fine mess in the yard. I cut them some stalk pieces and they played tug-a-war, before chewing them to bits too. Parker grabbed a cornstalk from the pile and joyfully ran around the yard with the stalk flying over his shoulder. I laughed till I nearly cried. he was having so much fun!
A couple of men in a truck, leaving the tire store across the street from our house stopped and I could see them laughing too.
Now back to the brilliant part. I was feeling pretty dumb, not being able to even find the few butterbeans that were ready. I had visions of me searching the corn stalks and the butterbeans snickering behind a corn leaf, "Boy, is she ever dumb! She can't find us! Neener! Neener! Neener!"
But NOW I had turned the corn stalks into.......TA-DA!! BEAN POLES!! 
And I got a wash pan full of beautiful corn! I can't wait for it to finish drying so I can make some cornbread!
So far, so good. The beans could run up the corn stalks. Another brilliant move. The corn and butterbeans grew. Uhhh....... the corn grew TWELVE FEET TALL!! Lots and lots of long, very green corn leaves that the butter beans played hide 'n seek in. I have only gotten 2 very small pickin's of butterbeans, but I could see this had all the makings of a garden train wreck. Not feeling so very brilliant right about now. I planted this corn with the idea of letting it dry out so I could make cornmeal. It was about half dry. It had dents in the top of the kernels, but not dry and hard. But this is southeast Texas where it is HOT -- a good thing for drying corn.
But refer back to that southeast part. It is also HUMID and that is not good for drying corn. The shucks were getting black mildew and moldy spots on them. If I waited for the corn to get really dry, it would probably rot before it got dry. I made the executive decision to cut the corn. :tools I pulled the ears of corn and stacked in a milk crate. Then I selected stalks that had butterbeans running up them and carefully unwound some of the vines so I could lop off the stalk tops to about 5 feet tall. Some I lopped off at the ground. Parker and Polly, the dogs, helped. They chewed dry corn leaves to shreds and made a fine mess in the yard. I cut them some stalk pieces and they played tug-a-war, before chewing them to bits too. Parker grabbed a cornstalk from the pile and joyfully ran around the yard with the stalk flying over his shoulder. I laughed till I nearly cried. he was having so much fun!
A couple of men in a truck, leaving the tire store across the street from our house stopped and I could see them laughing too. Now back to the brilliant part. I was feeling pretty dumb, not being able to even find the few butterbeans that were ready. I had visions of me searching the corn stalks and the butterbeans snickering behind a corn leaf, "Boy, is she ever dumb! She can't find us! Neener! Neener! Neener!"
But NOW I had turned the corn stalks into.......TA-DA!! BEAN POLES!!
And I got a wash pan full of beautiful corn! I can't wait for it to finish drying so I can make some cornbread!
lesa
Garden Master
You've got to try the experiment- and then be ready to change the rules, as needed! Excellent! Enjoy your corn and your beans...
bj taylor
Garden Ornament
that corn is beautiful. post a pic when you get it ground. I bet it will be beautiful. then, post a pic of the finished product.
great bean poles too!
great bean poles too!
thistlebloom
Garden Master
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Pretty corn Bay! You'll have to post a pic of it made into cornbread or something.
Next year I think you should try some Painted Mountain corn. It's a north Idaho creation, and it makes some really gorgeous ears too.
I make corn bread with it and it's super!
Oh, I see I just repeated BJ....
Next year I think you should try some Painted Mountain corn. It's a north Idaho creation, and it makes some really gorgeous ears too.
I make corn bread with it and it's super!
Oh, I see I just repeated BJ....
digitS'
Garden Master
Bay', your experience is very similar to mine with the 3 Sister garden. How do you think that I have "volunteer" Rattlesnake beans? They kinda got away from me!
Somewhere in the forum there is a recounting of my experience. Not the first Sisters garden that I grew way back during smoke signal days but after that debacle and about 30 years ruminating about it. I decided to grow everything for dry harvest. The beans still pulled down my choice for dry corn, Painted Mountain. I put poles in for them to climb on. Yeah, so much for them climbing on the corn.
It worked okay, especially since my pumpkin & squash vines were planted only on the south side of the corn/beans. There was no coming in from that side with the poles and sledge hammer. In time, I couldn't have gotten to them from the northside either as the vining plants worked their way thru. It did suppress the weeds but it suppressed me getting into that corner of my garden, too. I'd do it again but the Sisters thing has limits.
Oh, and you drying the corn off the plants -- I did that, also. Right about 1st frost, I pulled back the husks, tied twine around them and hung them under the carport roof for just a few days. They dried quickly.
Steve
Somewhere in the forum there is a recounting of my experience. Not the first Sisters garden that I grew way back during smoke signal days but after that debacle and about 30 years ruminating about it. I decided to grow everything for dry harvest. The beans still pulled down my choice for dry corn, Painted Mountain. I put poles in for them to climb on. Yeah, so much for them climbing on the corn.
It worked okay, especially since my pumpkin & squash vines were planted only on the south side of the corn/beans. There was no coming in from that side with the poles and sledge hammer. In time, I couldn't have gotten to them from the northside either as the vining plants worked their way thru. It did suppress the weeds but it suppressed me getting into that corner of my garden, too. I'd do it again but the Sisters thing has limits.
Oh, and you drying the corn off the plants -- I did that, also. Right about 1st frost, I pulled back the husks, tied twine around them and hung them under the carport roof for just a few days. They dried quickly.
Steve
- Thread starter
- #19
baymule
Garden Master
Thistlebloom, I might try the Painted Mountain corn next year. I am trying different varieties of vegetable so I can find what works here for me the best. This corn has grown well, is pretty and .......... don't know about taste yet.
Steve, I didn't want to wade through vines to get to the corn and butterbeans. I already know I don't have room for rambling vines. I wish I did, but they would have their own plot of ground.
I can't wait to make cornbread!
Steve, I didn't want to wade through vines to get to the corn and butterbeans. I already know I don't have room for rambling vines. I wish I did, but they would have their own plot of ground.
I can't wait to make cornbread!
vfem
Garden Addicted
You know, I tried this with my popcorn. It was such a wonderful plan, huh?! My beans got so heavy even before the corn was done, it pulled the corn over and I ended up having to put the corn back up with supports for the corn and beans. It would be 1/2 dz bamboo posts later that everything finally stood up. Luckily, the corn was sad and pathetic, and maybe only got 4-5 ft tall so I could reach.
This year I laugh because I thought of doing this with the sunflowers, and then changed my mind. My sunflowers and sorghum are now like 9-10 feet tall (My sad corn is only 4-5 ft tall again). Glad I just grabbed the bamboo and called it done.
I think you cutting yours down to the bean posts is just perfect, they look nice too! Not to mention how GORGEOUS your corn is. I'm craving cornbread myself now. Thanks!
My beans got so heavy even before the corn was done, it pulled the corn over and I ended up having to put the corn back up with supports for the corn and beans. It would be 1/2 dz bamboo posts later that everything finally stood up. Luckily, the corn was sad and pathetic, and maybe only got 4-5 ft tall so I could reach. This year I laugh because I thought of doing this with the sunflowers, and then changed my mind. My sunflowers and sorghum are now like 9-10 feet tall (My sad corn is only 4-5 ft tall again). Glad I just grabbed the bamboo and called it done.
I think you cutting yours down to the bean posts is just perfect, they look nice too! Not to mention how GORGEOUS your corn is. I'm craving cornbread myself now. Thanks!
