A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

Corn mail came into today.

Oaxacan Green Dent

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Sunflowers are practically a weed aren't they? One year, my husband informed me that the row of sunflower seeds I planted in the front garden was CROOKED. I looked at him blankly and told him I hadn't planted any sunflowers. We went out to look together and sure enough, there they were!

We're pretty sure that a squirrel planted them using the neighbors bird seed. I still have tons of seeds from their efforts.

Quite possible especially if the sunflowers are a kind you didn't buy in the first place (for example the one that showed up in our hanging planter was a Russian Black oil seed type sunflower, which we would have had no reason to plant (we're no oil producers, and the seeds are too small to be much good for eating out of hand).

Yes, birdseed leads to a lot of volunteer plants. Mostly millet and sorghum. I suspect the peanut plants I saw in Union Square in NYC also came about that way (though how they managed to stay there long enough to flower without the park groundskeepers noticing them is beyond me, let alone the squirrels (a squirrel probably buried them in the first place, but with so many there, the odds of neither it nor any other squirrel digging them up again is sort of remote.) as did the flax plant.

 

[flowerbug]

Corn mail came into today.

Oaxacan Green Dent
View attachment 53907

very cool looking - i've not done much with corn but am always amazed by the different colors and shapes. hope it will grow well for you.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

very cool looking - i've not done much with corn but am always amazed by the different colors and shapes. hope it will grow well for you.

I think they may have improved it since the days when I tried it 30+ years ago; the green seems more even than it was then.

Then again, one of the farmer's market stands grew it for door corn a few years ago, and it still was all sorts of shades of green (of course, they were growing it right next to a patch of Earth Toned, and didn't really pay much attention to what crossed with what).

 

[heirloomgal]

Quite possible especially if the sunflowers are a kind you didn't buy in the first place (for example the one that showed up in our hanging planter was a Russian Black oil seed type sunflower, which we would have had no reason to plant (we're no oil producers, and the seeds are too small to be much good for eating out of hand).

Yes, birdseed leads to a lot of volunteer plants. Mostly millet and sorghum. I suspect the peanut plants I saw in Union Square in NYC also came about that way (though how they managed to stay there long enough to flower without the park groundskeepers noticing them is beyond me, let alone the squirrels (a squirrel probably buried them in the first place, but with so many there, the odds of neither it nor any other squirrel digging them up again is sort of remote.) as did the flax plant.

I'll probably sound like the ultimate bird grump, but I kinda dislike having birdseed around. We have a big feeder high up on a pole, which is the part I'm fine with, but the birds are messy eaters. They kick all kinds of seeds out of the feeder when they're in there and it attracts rodents. Rodents that tunnel in my vegetable rows in summer, voles especially. It's like feeding voles along with birds, and there are vole hidey holes all around that feeder. I like to see the chicakdees as much as everyone else here, but I think it's creating a problem for me. There will definitely be resistance though if I suggest banning the feeder.

 

[ducks4you]

Corn mail came into today.

How clever! You even color coordinated.

 

[heirloomgal]

I think they may have improved it since the days when I tried it 30+ years ago; the green seems more even than it was then.

Then again, one of the farmer's market stands grew it for door corn a few years ago, and it still was all sorts of shades of green (of course, they were growing it right next to a patch of Earth Toned, and didn't really pay much attention to what crossed with what).

I got it from a friend and she said they were the most gorgeous corn she's ever grown, and she's grown 47 types. So I'm feeling pretty good that these are as gorgeous as online photos. Of course I worry about DTM, but she is in a lower zone than me and succeeded with it so I should, technically, be able to do it too. Transplants will probably be key.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well, the fact that I saw it at a FM in NYC means it has to work SOMEWHERE around my area (by law, nothing sold a a FM in NYC can be made more than 100 miles from NYC.) But then again, NYC is a couple of zones further south than you, so it's hard to tell.

Interestingly, should I ever break up some of the ears I saved from that time, there could be some EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE candidates there. One ear seems to be what I always expected as part of the "maximum color palette group). If Glass Gem is the ultimate in color for flint/pop corn, Earth Tones for dent*and Astronomy Dominae for sweet corn, THIS ear looks exactly like what I would expect the flour corn member of the group to look like.

There's also an Earth Tones ear with a few sweetcorn hybrid kernels on it, so there could be something there as well.

 

[heirloomgal]

Well, the fact that I saw it at a FM in NYC means it has to work SOMEWHERE around my area (by law, nothing sold a a FM in NYC can be made more than 100 miles from NYC.) But then again, NYC is a couple of zones further south than you, so it's hard to tell.

Interestingly, should I ever break up some of the ears I saved from that time, there could be some EVEN MORE ATTRACTIVE candidates there. One ear seems to be what I always expected as part of the "maximum color palette group). If Glass Gem is the ultimate in color for flint/pop corn, Earth Tones for dent*and Astronomy Dominae for sweet corn, THIS ear looks exactly like what I would expect the flour corn member of the group to look like.

There's also an Earth Tones ear with a few sweetcorn hybrid kernels on it, so there could be something there as well.

I had to google the Earth Tones and Astronomy for photos...wow! Those are seriously gorgeous cobs. Such a tragedy that only one variety per year can be grown. Geesh you know your corn @Pulsegleaner !

Between corn I bought years ago and never grew, some I saw last year and decided to get, then a few I've gotten this year I'm really starting to get boggled with which one to grow. I feel the most tempted with the Dakota Black because it looks like it's nearly 100% reliable with its early DTM and popcorn never goes to waste. Yet, there are certainly more colorful ones to try. I have some Mandan Lavender Parching corn whispering to me to grow it too. The Saskatchewan Rainbow Flint looks nice and has an early DTM. Mandan Bride too and Floriani Flint are up for consideration though those DTM's aren't as early. I like to be able to offer whatever I grow in the seed excahgne too, and there won't be many takers for anything besides sweet corn and popcorn. I got some Yukon Chief for sweet corn to try, and Yukon Supreme as well - now I'm left wondering if they're the same variety?

I initially felt tempted to try Gaspe Flint but it after looking at photos, it looks so dreadful the way it grows. They look like short scraggly weeds, and I like the tall and stately typical stalks of corn. I find the cobs look pretty rough too, nothing pretty about them for sure, and given how short the plants are and small the cobs they probably aren't very productive per sq ft.

What corn are you growing in 2023?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I had to google the Earth Tones and Astronomy for photos...wow! Those are seriously gorgeous cobs. Such a tragedy that only one variety per year can be grown. Geesh you know your corn @Pulsegleaner !

Between corn I bought years ago and never grew, some I saw last year and decided to get, then a few I've gotten this year I'm really starting to get boggled with which one to grow. I feel the most tempted with the Dakota Black because it looks like it's nearly 100% reliable with its early DTM and popcorn never goes to waste. Yet, there are certainly more colorful ones to try. I have some Mandan Lavender Parching corn whispering to me to grow it too. The Saskatchewan Rainbow Flint looks nice and has an early DTM. Mandan Bride too and Floriani Flint are up for consideration though those DTM's aren't as early. I like to be able to offer whatever I grow in the seed excahgne too, and there won't be many takers for anything besides sweet corn and popcorn. I got some Yukon Chief for sweet corn to try, and Yukon Supreme as well - now I'm left wondering if they're the same variety?

I initially felt tempted to try Gaspe Flint but it after looking at photos, it looks so dreadful the way it grows. They look like short scraggly weeds, and I like the tall and stately typical stalks of corn. I find the cobs look pretty rough too, nothing pretty about them for sure, and given how short the plants are and small the cobs they probably aren't very productive per sq ft.

What corn are you growing in 2023?

Haven't decided yet. Haven't decided IF I'll grow corn (remember, I haven't even had a corn kernel survive GERMINATING for many years, thanks to the critters). Would like to keep trying with the miniature dents and such I found, If I can. But am also thinking of trying the miniature Glass Gem, on the grounds that, with a pint jar full of kernels, there just might be TOO MANY for the critters to eat it all before some grew to a size where they'd lose interest.