2024 garden season

[muddstopper]

Sounds like us. We don't care for spaghetti squash and haven't grown them for years. Ditto for zucchini squash.

Our favorite squash is Early Prolific Straight Neck pan fried with avocado oil, sometimes with fresh onions stirred in.

We eat almost all of our homegrown vegetables à la carte or mixed with other fresh vegetables from the garden. We aren't much for recipes where the homegrown vegetables become minor ingredients.

Kind of agree with you here. I like crook neck squash mostly. I grow zucchini just to give away. I will pick the small ones and mix in with the squash, along with okra and some cyanne pepper in the frying pan. The big zucchini gets cutup and fed to the chickens. They seem to love it.

Del, what is the maturity time for the Seminole xl sweet corn. I dont think I have ever seen any seed for it around here. Most the the seed sellers are now selling the Ambrosia, peaches and cream, and bicolor sweet corn. I had to order my silver queen seed. Bought one small packet of seed from a ebay seller, twenty seeds in a small bag. I was disappointed in the amount of seeds I got, but I planted all of them in the first row and it seemed to have produced bigger and fuller ears that the rest of the crop.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

For those who don't care for zucchini, best not look...

My second planting, garden spot #2, is doing well, so far. So are the sweet/snow peas and tomatoes.
Garden #1 is still producing a few squash, beans and maters.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Lots of butterflies and just now starting to see some Gulf fritillary caterpillars.

They eat the Ocoee and don't bother anything else.

 

[Del_]

Kind of agree with you here. I like crook neck squash mostly. I grow zucchini just to give away. I will pick the small ones and mix in with the squash, along with okra and some cyanne pepper in the frying pan. The big zucchini gets cutup and fed to the chickens. They seem to love it.

Del, what is the maturity time for the Seminole xl sweet corn. I dont think I have ever seen any seed for it around here. Most the the seed sellers are now selling the Ambrosia, peaches and cream, and bicolor sweet corn. I had to order my silver queen seed. Bought one small packet of seed from a ebay seller, twenty seeds in a small bag. I was disappointed in the amount of seeds I got, but I planted all of them in the first row and it seemed to have produced bigger and fuller ears that the rest of the crop.

80 days.

At Hoss Tools:
https://growhoss.com/products/seminole-xr-sweet-corn?variant=47689281143094

At Stokes:
https://us.stokeseeds.com/corn-0040188t.html

You will likely be amazed at the number of corn varieties that Stokes grows and sells. Here's the link:
https://us.stokeseeds.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=corn

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Oh, I forgot to mention before...
Yesterday I spent about 2 hours of my time shopping in air-conditioned stores, spent about $150, and bought enough canned and non-perishable food to last me about six months.
In this oppressive heat, I spend as little time as possible outside...

 

[muddstopper]

I dont know how much food I have stored up. My wifes shed looks like and isle in the grocery store. I have two freezers packed here at home and one at my sons house and another just cleaned out and ready to start filling at my grand daughters. Problem with freezers is if the power goes off, you only have a few days before spoilage sets in. I have a 13000w generator and I keep about 30gal of gas as well as 4 bottles of propane, (my genny runs on gas or propane)for just in case of a long outage. My grid tied inverter keeps 4 100amh batteries fully charged which will run my freezers for about a week, I can also rechage the batteries from my auto, if I have to. . I also have a hand pump in my well for fresh water. Kerosene heater for heat as well as a fireplace and not enough wood. I also dehydrate lots of veggies and vaccum seal it for long term storage. I want me a freeze dryer, but the $3000 price tag makes it more of a want than a need. Prepareing for a shtf situation has it drawbacks. For one thing, if I fire up that generator I am sure to have folks coming to check out whats going on. I keep plenty of ammo, but one person cant keep the hoards at bay forever. Also canned goods will last a long time, but not if the cans freeze during a cold snap. You could have spoilage from leaking cans that can kill you as quick as a hungry neighbor. Food stored to hot can have the same effect. Any ways, think about how you are storeing your supplies just as much as you think about the supplies you need.

 

[farmer steve]

80 days.

At Hoss Tools:
https://growhoss.com/products/seminole-xr-sweet-corn?variant=47689281143094

At Stokes:
https://us.stokeseeds.com/corn-0040188t.html

You will likely be amazed at the number of corn varieties that Stokes grows and sells. Here's the link:
https://us.stokeseeds.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=corn

I buy a lot of seeds from Stokes. They used to sell a lot of their corn in 10M size bags but when they switched to 25M I went to another place. The 274A xtra-tender is what most of the guys at produce auction raise. I'm not a fan of the sh2 varieties due to the thicker pericarp on kernels. SE or SY are my favorites.

 

[Del_]

I buy a lot of seeds from Stokes. They used to sell a lot of their corn in 10M size bags but when they switched to 25M I went to another place. The 274A xtra-tender is what most of the guys at produce auction raise. I'm not a fan of the sh2 varieties due to the thicker pericarp on kernels. SE or SY are my favorites.

I'm interested.

Do you supposed 274A xtra-tender would do well here in NE Georgia?

I need to order corn seed for next year.

If you don't mind would you share your seed source. A PM would be fine.

I'm worried come spring some sources will dry up.

Do you every use last years seed?

I'm wondering how the shrunken kernels store. I use silica gel to keep seeds dry in an airtight ammo box and do make out well overwintering seeds. I don't do germination testing but sometimes I don't do well with early spring corn plantings. I'm going to treated seed next purchase.

 

[farmer steve]

I'm interested.

Do you supposed 274A xtra-tender would do well here in NE Georgia?

I need to order corn seed for next year.

If you don't mind would you share your seed source. A PM would be fine.

I'm worried come spring some sources will dry up.

Do you every use last years seed?

I'm wondering how the shrunken kernels store. I use silica gel to keep seeds dry in an airtight ammo box and do make out well overwintering seeds. I don't do germination testing but sometimes I don't do well with early spring corn plantings. I'm going to treated seed next purchase.

I do hold seed over. I keep all my seeds in a freezer. Haven't noticed much loss in germination per se with the exception of some green bean seeds I bought from Stokes last year. The guys using the 274A here plant it way early to have corn by the 4th of July. Of course they cover with plastic or transplant seedings through black plastic with drip tape. This is the link to the guys I also buy seed from. Compare their prices to some other seed companies. Early order discounts in December and early January.
https://martinsproducesupplies.com/product/sweet-corn-xtra-tender-274a-bicolor/

 

[Del_]

I do hold seed over. I keep all my seeds in a freezer. Haven't noticed much loss in germination per se with the exception of some green bean seeds I bought from Stokes last year. The guys using the 274A here plant it way early to have corn by the 4th of July. Of course they cover with plastic or transplant seedings through black plastic with drip tape. This is the link to the guys I also buy seed from. Compare their prices to some other seed companies. Early order discounts in December and early January.
https://martinsproducesupplies.com/product/sweet-corn-xtra-tender-274a-bicolor/

I noticed that 274A is listed as a SH2 type on it's Tech-sheet at the Stokes site. Is that what you are growing?

We only grow about 500 corn plants a year in six to eight staggered plantings. One of our early plantings is larger and most of that one we freeze. I plant corn on six inch centers and then thin to 12 inch spacing. I transplant some of the extras to fill in gaps where seeds didn't come up.

What spacings do you use for sweet corn?

This is my first year with Seminole xr and I'm surprised at how short the plants are, yet has great yield and good ear size.

I'll be growing some 274A in the 2025 season.

 

[farmer steve]

I noticed that 274A is listed as a SH2 type on it's Tech-sheet at the Stokes site. Is that what you are growing?

We only grow about 500 corn plants a year in six to eight staggered planting. One of our early planting is larger and most of that one we freeze. I plant corn on six inch centers and then thin to 12 inch spacing. I transplant some of the extras to fill in gaps where seeds didn't come up.

What spacings do you use for sweet corn?

This is my first year with Seminole xr and I'm surprised at how short the plants are, yet has great yield and good ear size.

I'll be growing some 274A in 2025 season.

The Seminole is also a sh2. I'm a about 8-10 inch spacing on 30 inch rows. I think my planter is set for about 15K plants per acre which is a little light. I know the guys that grow the 274 give it a lot of nitrogen through their drip lines . If I remember I get some pics of theirs at auction Tuesday. I mainly grow Montauk bicolor as my main corn. Also honey select yellow and mattapoisett white. I don't grow any sh2 because of possible cross pollination.

 

[Del_]

The Seminole is also a sh2. I'm a about 8-10 inch spacing on 30 inch rows. I think my planter is set for about 15K plants per acre which is a little light. I know the guys that grow the 274 give it a lot of nitrogen through their drip lines . If I remember I get some pics of theirs at auction Tuesday. I mainly grow Montauk bicolor as my main corn. Also honey select yellow and mattapoisett white. I don't grow any sh2 because of possible cross pollination.

Now you've got me reading and thinking about growing Montauk!

I'm also going to change my 'in row' spacing to nine inches.

Thanks.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Not knocking those who like it, but isn't corn a waste of garden space?
Only one ear (a single serving) per stalk compared to beans, tomatoes, squash, etc. with multiple pickings?

 

[husqvarna257]

So my Purple Cherokee and Brandywine all grown in 30 gal grow bags of 3 yr old horse manure are putting out tons of green tomato's. Problem is as soon as they start to get ripe mice come in and feast on them. I put out a 5 gallon pail trap with peanut butter, I also put out some cracked corn fermenting away in a 5 gallon bucket. I feed fermented mash to chickens and I left the lid off one night and got tons of mice in a night.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

So my Purple Cherokee and Brandywine all grown in 30 gal grow bags of 3 yr old horse manure are putting out tons of green tomato's. Problem is as soon as they start to get ripe mice come in and feast on them. I put out a 5 gallon pail trap with peanut butter, I also put out some cracked corn fermenting away in a 5 gallon bucket. I feed fermented mash to chickens and I left the lid off one night and got tons of mice in a night.
View attachment 1193702

At first glance I said, "What the hell kind of soup is that??"

Sheesh, that's a lot of mice!

 

[Del_]

Not knocking those who like it, but isn't corn a waste of garden space?
Only one ear (a single serving) per stalk compared to beans, tomatoes, squash, etc. with multiple pickings?

A waste of space?

Not to those in the know.

Well grown corn is a sign of an accomplished gardener and has a very interesting life cycle with very distinct phases.

I don't know of a serious gardener that does not grow corn.

 

[farmer steve]

Now you've got me reading and thinking about growing Montauk!

I'm also going to change my 'in row' spacing to nine inches.

Thanks.

The Montauk is very good. My customers liked it because it yielded very good for the people that put corn up in the freezer. Taste is very good. I like to pick it on the young side for fresh eating but it a few more days for cutting . A tad young but fresh picked. Going in the pot now.

 

[Del_]

That sure looks good.

I just finished two ears of Seminole.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

A waste of space?

Not to those in the know.

Well grown corn is a sign of an accomplished gardener and has a very interesting life cycle with very distinct phases.

I don't know of a serious gardener that does not grow corn.

That may well be but you didn't address my claim -
One stalk, one ear of corn, one serving.
Not only that, but it gets so tall it will block the sun from other plants.
How is that efficient gardening?

Of course, I'm talking about an average size residential garden, not acres, or a dedicated patch.
For a garden my size, it would be a huge waste of space.

 

[Del_]

That may well be but you didn't address my claim -
One stalk, one ear of corn, one serving.
Not only that, but it gets so tall it will block the sun from other plants.
How is that efficient gardening?

Of course, I'm talking about an average size residential garden, not acres, or a dedicated patch.
For a garden my size, it would be a huge waste of space.

You are wasting people's time.

How efficient is that?

In less space than your doublewide takes up you could easily grow all of the corn, watermelons, cantaloupe, asparagus, etc., that you could ever want. Freeze and can, too.

It would still be a small garden.