New corns of note

[Jack Holloway]

Do you mean in the same garden? Is it possible to get 2 crops in one season (in the same garden)?

I was surprised that there were other sellers! I bought some too, but will not be growing it this year as I'd already purchased Roy's Calais Flint & Martian Jewels. I'd also like to get Painted Mountain, but would like to understand the source options first (I hope to get some for foundation stock so want it to be true to type/characteristics).

My apologies for butting in here, but I believe that Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon gets their seed from Dave Christensen Farms for Painted Mountain. If true, that would be the source itself. They have it in packet, 1/4 lb., and 1/2 lb. sizes. They also have Montana Morado Maize, but only in packet size now, the other sizes are sold out.

 

[meadow]

My apologies for butting in here, but I believe that Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon gets their seed from Dave Christensen Farms for Painted Mountain. If true, that would be the source itself. They have it in packet, 1/4 lb., and 1/2 lb. sizes. They also have Montana Morado Maize, but only in packet size now, the other sizes are sold out.

Thank you so much, Jack!! Can't get any truer to type than from the man himself.

 

[Zeedman]

My apologies for butting in here, but I believe that Siskiyou Seeds in Oregon gets their seed from Dave Christensen Farms for Painted Mountain. If true, that would be the source itself. They have it in packet, 1/4 lb., and 1/2 lb. sizes. They also have Montana Morado Maize, but only in packet size now, the other sizes are sold out.

Fedco still has larger quantities of Montana Morado Maize, or did when I ordered from them. They too attribute their source seed to Dave Christensen.

 

[Jack Holloway]

Fedco still has larger quantities of Montana Morado Maize, or did when I ordered from them. They too attribute their source seed to Dave Christensen.

Thanks Zeedman! I was wondering where you got yours at. I'll check them out. I wanted to get some seeds for the freezer, can't plant them this year.

 

[meadow]

Fedco still has larger quantities of Montana Morado Maize, or did when I ordered from them. They too attribute their source seed to Dave Christensen.

For now, Dave and his growing partner (Ole Norgaard) are the only source of Montana Morado Maize seed.

Painted Mountain, on the other hand, is being grown by various growers. I'm so glad that @Jack Holloway mentioned Siskiyou! They don't all clearly state their sources. (our seed is from Dave Christensen stock vs our seed is from Dave Christensen) But at Siskiyou seed, and a few others, it is perfectly clear.

 

[digitS']

If you want to do a little searching on TEG, you will find @seedcorn 's suggestion, which I tried for the 2 seasons that I grew Painted Mountain, on how to make use of a flour corn if you don't have a mill. ~ Soak seeds overnight and use a blender ~

Painted Mountain made delicious cornbread. I'm not kidding! I wish that I was still able to grow it . Where I have room for corn, the neighbor has so much sweetcorn planted nearby that crossing with his sweetcorn would be very likely.

About the 3 Sisters. It's just perfection with a flour corn, pole beans for dry use, and a big, sprawling squash, IMHO. The problem when I first tried it was harvesting and the collapsing sweetcorn plants - terrible! Using Painted Mountain, even tho they tend to be small plants, with a few tall stakes for the beans, worked fine.

I don't find driving stakes for beans much trouble. I'm out there with a milk crate to stand on and a 5# sledgehammer. Vertical and early enough that I didn't have trouble from the squash vines.

In 2021, I planted a squash with very vigorous vining tendencies a little too close to the teepee type arrangements made for the Rattlesnake Beans (not with any corn plants). The squash found it too easy to make use of the slanting pole bean trellis and started up one side. They didn't really make a lot of trouble but they slowed things down for the beans after the squash had crawled over that far ...

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

About the 3 Sisters. It's just perfection with a flour corn, pole beans for dry use, and a big, sprawling squash, IMHO. The problem when I first tried it was harvesting and the collapsing sweetcorn plants - terrible! Using Painted Mountain, even tho they tend to be small plants, with a few tall stakes for the beans, worked fine.

When @baymule sent me the Painted Mountain seed, she cautioned me to keep an eye on it as it was drying. That proved to be good advice. The ears have weak tip cover, so mold can begin if there is heavy rainfall as the ears are ripening. I had to pick a few ears before they were fully dry.

But more relevant to this discussion is that while Painted Mountain grew tall for me (6-7') the stalks were weak. As the corn matured & the stalks turned brown, many of them began to tip over - sometimes all the way to the ground. I lost a few ears to spoilage before I tied up all the stalks. They appeared to have rotted or softened at ground level. I also note that PM didn't appear to have very strong brace roots. So although PM does OK here, it may be better adapted to places where late summer rains are less frequent.

When I grow PM this year, I will use closer spacing (in hope that the stalks will re-enforce each other to some degree) and I will use stakes & twine around the outside to support the block. Given their common heritage, I anticipate that when I grow Montana Morado Maize, it will perform similarly.

 

[Zeedman]

When I spoke of brace roots above, see the photo here of brace roots for Floriani Red Flint (which is also on my future grow list:
Floriani Red Flint

A little longer DTM than I like - so I'd have to grow it at home, for isolation from the ubiquitous GM field corn. But between the stronger anchoring & the apparently tight ear protection, perhaps better adapted to my wet, windy Summers. Floriani Red Flint seems to be gaining in popularity, so I'm not in a hurry to buy that just yet.

 

[meadow]

When I spoke of brace roots above, see the photo here of brace roots for Floriani Red Flint (which is also on my future grow list:
Floriani Red Flint

A little longer DTM than I like - so I'd have to grow it at home, for isolation from the ubiquitous GM field corn. But between the stronger anchoring & the apparently tight ear protection, perhaps better adapted to my wet, windy Summers. Floriani Red Flint seems to be gaining in popularity, so I'm not in a hurry to buy that just yet.

Wot?! Cob tips & butts? What a great idea! Have you sampled the Floriani Red Flint yet?

 

[Jack Holloway]

@Zeedman - I'm weak today and just ordered a pound of the Floriani Red Flint for the freezer. PM me your RL name and address and I'll send you a 1/4 lb. of it when it get it. Think of it as a down on a future trade.

@meadow - Thanks for mentioning the Cob tips & butts. I think, I ordered two kinds to try.