Re: Can You Grow Corn in Small Spaces?
Corn can be grown successfully in small spaces, or just a few plants.
The secrete is pollination. That is pollination from the same plant or
other plants of the same variety. Each kernel has one silk thread which
must have a grain of pollen attach to it. When planted in large fields
the pollen which falls from the tassels onto the silk, gets wafted
around by air currents and so every ear gets plenty. In small patches
the pollen misses the targets and so ears may have many missing kernels.
Do the following: When the silk begins showing, the tassels should also
have the pollen capsules hanging all over. You can hand strip the
pollen capsules and rub the pollen onto the silk. It may be better to
shake the pollen from the tassels into a large paper bag and then
transfer the pollen with a brush or by pouring it gently onto the silk.
I usually make a morning and evening pass through the patch collecting
and distributing pollen, for the week or so that the silks are
receptive. Once the silk turns dry and dark conception has already
occurred, or it is too late.
Corn is a plant that requires a close relationship with the people that
grow it.
Don Lambert
"Honigman, Adam" wrote:
>
> Comrades:
>
> Our Hell's Kitchen garden is 150 x 100 feet ( the size of five old-law
> tenements and their back yards). The front half of out space is our public
> lawn, grape arbor, benches, flower and native plant beds, herbs and a
> beehive. The rear half has 108 4' x 6' raised bed plots where folks grow
> veggies, flowers and anything legal.
>
> My question:
>
> Every year someone tries to grow some corn in one of the 4 x 6' plots and
> gets pretty lousy results. The common consensus is that you need a large
> area to grow corn for cross fertilizing purposes. Is there anyone out there
> who has any ideas on how the folks out there can grow corn in our limited
> space.
>
> Thanking you in advance for your input,
>
> Adam Honigman
>
> Adam Honigman
> Bowne Publishing Division
> 345 Hudson Street
> New York, NY 10014
> Tel: (212) 414-8933
> Fax: (212) 229-3421
> email: adam.honigman@bowne.com
>
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