SAVING SEEDS - CORN
By: Ron
The One Who Walks Two Paths
Tonight's episode... Corn. I normally can 30 dozen ears of corn and that does not take into consideration what we eat fresh.
I usually start planting corn as soon as the danger of frost is past. One of the tricks I use is to watch when the farmer across starts to plant his field corn, which is usually a week before I think it should be planted. I then plant six 25 foot rows of each variety ( I plant 4 different varieties). I will plant new plots again in three weeks to extend my harvest.
When the young corn gets to be about 8 inches high, now is the time to side dress with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Commercial growers, of course, use liquid nitrogen. But, for us 'organic' or more 'natural' folks, I like to use this little trick. If you have planted your rows two foot apart, dig a six inch wide trench down the middle between the rows and about six inches deep. We then fill this with partially composted chicken manure, the stuff that has been composting for a couple of months. Make sure it is not fresh. This then, is my natural nitrogen boost that will allow the corn to shoot up just like any commercial farmers corn.
Now, just a quick note... Critters love your corn, too! Not only do you have to guard against the bandits for fresh corn for your table, but you need to guard your future seed as well. Corn really is one of the easier vegetables to save if you just take a few small preparations. Corn will cross pollinate with any other variety and the resulting seed will not be anything like you planted. So, if you don't have the room to separate your plots, it is time to fit your corn with hats. First, find a liquor store that will sell you some of those small, long paper bags. Every morning walk the corn patch looking for the first signs of silk on new ears of corn. As you come across some new ears place the paper bag over the ear and secure the bag with a paper clip ( you really only need to keep the bag from blowing off). After four days, you want to walk the rows again, but this time armed with a paper lunch bag. You are looking to shake the pollen from the tassels into your bag. The best way is to take a shake from all the plants of one variety throughout the rows (this is for your individual variety you are saving if you plant more than one type). Now, go back and remove the bags from your young ears and shake some of the pollen onto the silks. Replace the bags and secure. Leave the bags on until the silks dry up to ensure no cross pollination.
Now, you need to mark each of the corn stalks some way. I go through with my pruning shears and cut off the corn stalk above the last leaf. this works great if you are the only one who harvests the corn. A ribbon works well also. Leave the ear on the plant until the plant dies back and/or the shuck loosens around the ear of corn, then pull off the plant easily. Go out to a corn field when they are harvesting field corn and give the stalks and ears a good look see.
Now, before you get all excited and remove the seed form the ear and package it, there is one more step to follow. Place the ears of corn in a citrus or potato bag (net kind) and store in a warm dry place until after Christmas. This gives the kernels the extra drying time so that they don't mold.
Now it's time to remove the kernels from the ear. The best way that I have found is to remove all the kernels from one row (top to bottom), and then you can twist the ear in your fist and the remaining kernels just come off.
How do you know how many ears to earmark, so to speak, for next years crop? The rule of thumb I use is, one ear for every 25 feet of row I plan on planting.