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Re: Radishes & corn smut

At 07:23 AM 1/8/98 -0600, you wrote:
> I may not have any
>answers for you, but what varieties are you growing?   

I have tried to grow Red-Cored Chantenay Carrots, Detroit Dark Red Beets,
and a variety of radishes.  I don't know what my grandparents tried, but
they stopped growing vegetables in the 1960's, so it wouldn't have been any
of the newer types.
>How much natural rainfall do you get during the growing season and
>how much irrigation do you do?

We get alot of rain and humidity, esp. in the spring.  Usually July and
early August is a little droughty, so I water 1" per week, more or less.
You seldom see farmers irrigating around here, so the rain must usually be
sufficient.

>Smut on corn.....its my understanding that smut fungus is mostly worsened
>by variety suceptibility.   What varieties are you growing?  

I haven't tried to grow corn since I was a kid, but everyone who gardens in
the neighborhood tries to grow corn once, but it always 'smuts'.  Mine did
the same 30 years ago, last time I tried to grow it.  I am guessing that
the corn I grew was ordinary su type.   
>
>Hope this helps a little bit, 
>
Rick, thanks for your advice.  I am going to buy something other than su
seeds. Re:  root crops, I was wondering if the soil might be missing
something that is necessary for root development.  The one time my radishes
did best was thirty years ago, when I planted them between two trees (about
6' apart!).  Nothing but sheep manure as fertilizer and they were perfect,
even the 'icicle' variety.  Last year, I planted Champions; they were the
only ones that developed a decent root in recent years, and they were not
that great.  They were growing in a clay loam (not real heavy soil, but
water-retentive) where peas and beans seem to do well.

Sheila   

Sheila Smith
mikecook@pipeline.com
Z 5/6
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