One of my favorite things about fall is decorating the front porch with corn stalks and pumpkins. It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling, kinda like staring at a couple cords of wood stacked neatly waiting for the days to grow shorter and the cool air of fall. Hands down it’s my favorite time of year. So this year instead of paying $5 for a bundle of corn stalks I decided to pay $5 for a few hundred seeds so we could try and grow our own corn. Personally I’m in it for the stalks. Let the other people who live here eat the corn, I just want the stalks.
I chose to grow a sweet corn (to eat) and also an Indian corn (hopefully to dry for Fall/ Thanksgiving decorations). I grew a few rows of corn about 10 years ago and there was nothing to it. So fingers crossed this year it works out too. I started the corn in seedling trays on May 18th (because I had read somewhere that birds like to eat the emerging seedlings) and planted the corn out in 2 patches of 4×25 raised beds. So I figure if I plant 250 corn seedlings and harvest at least 1/2 that I’ll be happy. I also planted a few pumpkin/butternut/hubbard/acorn squash starts in between the rows and in a few weeks if all goes well I will start the pole (dried) beans next to the mini corn stalks. Hopefully the bean will wind up the corn stalks and the squash will spread across the ground beneath.
According to the girl who lives here, that is called “the three sisters planting method and that’s what the Indians did.” Okay then, maybe we should/could/will make a tepee to go next to it. What a great summer project for the kids.
Leave a Reply