We harvested our first ears of corn (9!) today in celebration of Oliver’s birthday.  The first ear we ate raw right on the spot.  The kernals were still a little small but tasted sweet and tender.  We also had beet greens, beets, and collard greens from the farm with some smokey potato salad with Applefield’s potatoes.  What a fantastic dinner!

Today’s harvest:  Sweet 100 Tomatoes, French beans, broccoli, soy beans, 2 zucchini, eggplant, 2 beets, 2 carrots, 9 ears corn, collards, cilantro, basil, nasturtium flowers, onion greens

Determining the best time to pick corn has always been a bit of a mystery to us.  Squeezing the ears, it is easy to imagine feeling plump kernels through the layers of husk.  Pulling back the husk at the tip is a supposed no-no as it inhibits growth if the ear isn’t ready and invites insect.  Not only is it hard to wait for the most exciting crop of the year, there is such a small window (less than a week) when the corn is ripe before it turns starchy.

The common consensus from our research on the internet seems to be 20 days from the first silks.  Looking back at our photos, the first occurrence of a silk was around July 31st.  That would mean we have another 8 or 9 more days before our first ear.

For now we have given in and have been buying corn from the farm next door.

The sound in the corn patch is incredible.  There are 4-5 bees on each corn plant busily collecting pollen from the tassels.

It shouldn’t be long before we are harvesting!

Only about 20 days until we can eat the corn!

As a preventative for European Corn Borer, we’ve been spraying the silks every few days with alternating sprays of Bt and Spinosad.

Today when we arrived, we were panicked by the sight of one of the corn stalks covered in these black insects.  They leaves and tassels were ensconced in these little black aphids.  Strangely, out of the entire block of corn, it was only one plant that was infested.  There are far too many to pick off.  The debate quickly turned to whether we should cut the entire plant and remove it, spray, or just wait and see.

A bit of research revealed:

Aphids do not interfere with pollination unless most corn tassels are heavily covered with aphids and their honeydew secretions. Feeding by large colonies of aphids can reduce yields significantly. Aphid colonies can slowly kill the tassel and top few leaves of a corn plant. The plant responds by shunting nutrients to the feeding area and not to the developing ear, resulting in stunted ears or even barren plants. ( read more )

Further observation also revealed that they were not spreading.  After a few days, the population reduced dramatically and the plant seems no worse for wear.  It will be interesting if the yield is affected.  It appears the worst case would be that we lost 2-3 ears of corn.

Earlier this month our corn was flattened by the big storms we were having on a nearly daily basis.  A bit of research and talking with local farmers reassured us that the corn would straighten itself in a day or so.  Instead, the next day it was flattened in the OTHER direction!  Once it stopped raining and the soil dried out a bit we went through plant by plant and straightened them all out.  None of the plants seem worse for wear and are happily growing upright.

18 days after planting the soy beans are sprouting!

The NY Early Onions that we planted near the peas have not sprouted.  Anxious that we are wasting space if they don’t germinate, we re-planted half of the row with onion plants from Applefield.  Inspired by the sprouted soy beans, we also dug up half of the inactive salsify plant more.  We also planted butternut seeds.

The corn is coming up as well (the little green dots)!

The corn has already started sprouting!  I’m wondering if we planted enough.

Also sprouted today, Nelson Carrots, and possibly the White Gem Parsnips.

Unfortunately, the first potato beetles and eggs have shown up on the potatoes.

Completed planting the corn (3 more rows).

Planted the following as seeds:

• 5 Zuchini
• 6 Summer Squash
• 8 Latino Eating Pumpkins (save seeds) (1 hill)
• 6 Howden Pumpkin (2 hills)