Wind damage to corn - help?

[jhook1997]

While we were away on vacation this past week there was a rough storm with extremely heavy winds and we came back to a huge mess in the garden! Broccoli seedlings strown everywhere, tomatoes toppled over, onions broken off and corn way bent over! I stayed in the garden till 11:00 last night salvaging what I could. Question is...is there anything I can do for the corn? They are approx. 30"-42" tall and most of them are not broken but leaning at about a 40 degree angle. Should I push them upright? Stake them? Tie them? Pull them up? Start over?

Any advice would be helpful b/c I hate to lose them all

 

[Ridgerunner]

How long ago did it happen? I've had corn blow over before, usually after the ground is really wet which made it soft, then a wind hit it. Mine straightened back up on its own within a couple of sunny days. I'd think you'll do more harm than good trying to help it anyway if it is not broken.

It will be interesting to see what Seedcorn has to say.

 

[jhook1997]

How long ago did it happen? I've had corn blow over before, usually after the ground is really wet which made it soft, then a wind hit it. Mine straightened back up on its own within a couple of sunny days. I'd think you'll do more harm than good trying to help it anyway if it is not broken.

It will be interesting to see what Seedcorn has to say.

It happened Friday and most are not standing back up. The shorter ones, like 24" are ok.

 

[digitS']

Do an image search for: "florida weave" tomatoes.

I know that you are talking about corn but the concept is the same. Look for a drawing rather than a photograph so that the concept will be clearer.

If you drive tall stakes every so often in the row, you can weave twine around the stakes and through the corn plants.

I have used that technique to lift corn that has blown over and it works great. No time should be lost, the plants may well begin to grow . . . with a bend . . . if left down too long. Then, the corn patch may become an impenetrable mess.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Ridge is right, let it be. It will straighten up on it's own. Whatever damage is done to the roots is done, let it go, the plant will correct itself. You may get some goosenecking (roots in one area plant top about 6" over) which is not a problem unless you harvesting with a machine. Every node can set a root system so look at it as a chance to set more roots.

Steve is also right as it will look like a mess but will not affect the harvest. If it bothers you, harvest the ears and cut the stalk down. Then you won't see it.

 

[Smart Red]

When that happened to me, I more or less did what DigitS suggests. I ran strands of twine between the plants to sort of hold them up. Didn't try to get everything straight, just a bit more upright and not as likely to fall over in another wind. Production was the same as any other year.

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening in zone 4b-5a, newly 5b? -- anyway, Im still in the same spot in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[April Manier]

How disheartening !

Leave it. It will straighten back up. Even when I cultivate and they get knocked they straighten. And plants can produce at all sorts of angles, right?

A few nights ago i woke up to the sound of a few hail peices hitting the skylights. In a few moments I thought it was Revelations! Anyway, I prayed for our corn, but mostly my tomatoes. Surprise! They are all perking back up.

 

[catjac1975]

I think you can fix them if their not broken. Put a shovel full of soil around the base and stomp around the plant. If that doesn't work put in a stake and tie every few plants up. A lot of work though if you have a big field.

 

[jhook1997]

Thanks everyone! I chose to let it be b/c I was already out of town for a week before anything could be done. The shorter ones are totally recovered but the taller ones look pretty rough. Most made 90 degree turns back up and several have ears on them. I doubt the harvest will be as good but only God can control the weather! We live on top of an unusually windy knoll so next year I'm thinking to "florida weave" them before we go on vacation....just in case!

 

[catjac1975]

So, what is Florida weave?