A Seed Saver's Garden

[Zeedman]

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.

Gaspe had to be canceled for 2022, but I still hope to grow it in 2023. Its DTM is so short that it will tassel before all of the surrounding GM field corn, so no chance of crossing even if open pollinated. I'm hoping that with the small plant size, I can space them more closely than taller corns (which might partially offset the lower yield per plant).

And I plan on growing it in the rural garden, which is under the protection of semi-feral cats. One of the growers warned me that the ears form so low to the ground that rodents can be a problem.

This corn is not widely grown, and at risk of extinction. Corn requires a wide population to prevent degradation over time, so I obtained seed from two different sources, and plan to use as much of both as possible. I believe @baymule did the same with Painted Mountain... I grew the last of that seed this year, and will combine the 2021 & 2022 lots for seed saving. I did intentionally eliminate the yellow kernels from the 2022 planting of Painted Mountain, since most of the stunted ears last year were yellow dominant.

 

[baymule]

@Zeedman I’ve never gotten mostly yellow ears from the Painted Mountain corn. It’s interesting that you did.
Yes, I traded seeds with @thistlebloom , she in Idaho and me in Texas. Her stalks were 7’ tall, mine were 4-5’ tall. I planted a row Texas, then row of Idaho seed. I kept those seed separated as Texas and Idaho seed, and planted them the following year in their own rows again. The third year I mixed equal numbers of seed and planted them. You got seed that were mixed.

Interesting to note, my Painted Mountain never has reached great height like @thistlebloom’s did. I credit her soil having greater fertility than mine. That was in Lindale where my soil was white sugar sand. While I went to great lengths to amend the soil, I’m guessing her soil had a whole lot of something mine didn’t.

 

[flowerbug]

... I’m guessing her soil had a whole lot of something mine didn’t.

if the name is indicative i'd say it might be reflecting where it was developed. "Mountain" --> Idaho v.s. lowland, so perhaps more adapted to upland more mineral based soils. however, like you i'll just also admit i'm guessing.

 

[meadow]

if the name is indicative i'd say it might be reflecting where it was developed. "Mountain" --> Idaho v.s. lowland, so perhaps more adapted to upland more mineral based soils. however, like you i'll just also admit i'm guessing.

Good guess!

It was/is developed by Dave Christensen in Montana.

 

[meadow]

es, I traded seeds with @thistlebloom , she in Idaho and me in Texas. Her stalks were 7’ tall, mine were 4-5’ tall. I planted a row Texas, then row of Idaho seed. I kept those seed separated as Texas and Idaho seed, and planted them the following year in their own rows again. The third year I mixed equal numbers of seed and planted them. You got seed that were mixed.

When you grew them in alternating rows, were they all the 4-5' height?

I grew Zeedman's Mesa Pea last season and it is a short plant for him (12-18"?), but a normal pea-size for me (I think 3.5-4 feet tall). I remembered reading about your corn height vs Thistlebloom's and was speculating that Mesa Pea may grow taller in cool/dark conditions, which is what we had in the Spring. The Fall crop only grew 12-18" tall and had very low production as compared to the Spring crop. Anyway, I wonder if that could account for the difference in corn height too, seeings as how Thistebloom is in Idaho.

 

[Zeedman]

@Zeedman I’ve never gotten mostly yellow ears from the Painted Mountain corn. It’s interesting that you did.
Yes, I traded seeds with @thistlebloom , she in Idaho and me in Texas. Her stalks were 7’ tall, mine were 4-5’ tall. I planted a row Texas, then row of Idaho seed. I kept those seed separated as Texas and Idaho seed, and planted them the following year in their own rows again. The third year I mixed equal numbers of seed and planted them. You got seed that were mixed.

The ears I mentioned were predominantly (but not completely) yellow, maybe 30-50%. I checked photos of Painted Mountain online, and yellow kernels appear to be part of the genome; but for some reason, those ears made up the majority of rejects due to spoilage or stunting. Ears with less than 25% of yellow kernels had few problems.

Interesting to note, my Painted Mountain never has reached great height like @thistlebloom’s did. I credit her soil having greater fertility than mine. That was in Lindale where my soil was white sugar sand. While I went to great lengths to amend the soil, I’m guessing her soil had a whole lot of something mine didn’t.

The stalks of my Painted Mountain were of variable height; a few 5' stalks & a few 7-8', but most were around 6' in height. The average height of the stalks in 2022 was slightly shorter, probably due to the late planting... the ears in 2022 averaged slightly shorter as well (as reflected in the lower total weight shelled, despite the larger number of plants). I suspect that corn may be photo-period sensitive, and goes into its reproductive cycle earlier if planted late.

Photos of both 2021 & 2022 crops below. Note that the predominantly yellow ears in both years tend to be shorter (and were also more prone to spoilage).

Painted Mountain 2021

Painted Mountain 2022

 

[heirloomgal]

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.

Have you tried transplants?

 

[heirloomgal]

The ears I mentioned were predominantly (but not completely) yellow, maybe 30-50%. I checked photos of Painted Mountain online, and yellow kernels appear to be part of the genome; but for some reason, those ears made up the majority of rejects due to spoilage or stunting. Ears with less than 25% of yellow kernels had few problems.

The stalks of my Painted Mountain were of variable height; a few 5' stalks & a few 7-8', but most were around 6' in height. The average height of the stalks in 2022 was slightly shorter, probably due to the late planting... the ears in 2022 averaged slightly shorter as well (as reflected in the lower total weight shelled, despite the larger number of plants). I suspect that corn may be photo-period sensitive, and goes into its reproductive cycle earlier if planted late.

Photos of both 2021 & 2022 crops below. Note that the predominantly yellow ears in both years tend to be shorter (and were also more prone to spoilage).
View attachment 53920
Painted Mountain 2021
View attachment 53921
Painted Mountain 2022

So gorgeous @Zeedman!

 

[heirloomgal]

@meadow I've found that peas can vary quite a bit in height depending on the soil they're grown in. I had quite a few peas this year that were supposed to grow 4-5 feet but definitely reached 6 feet or more. I think it's a legume thing actually, while the beans don't vary in height so much I do find that one variety can vary alot in how bushy they are one year and then not so much the next. I think it's a fertility thing, and also a delia platura thing. Delia platura can knock back a plant, never enough to kill it past the seed stage, but to reduce the yield you'll get from it. They affect peas that way too.

 

[baymule]

When you grew them in alternating rows, were they all the 4-5' height?

I grew Zeedman's Mesa Pea last season and it is a short plant for him (12-18"?), but a normal pea-size for me (I think 3.5-4 feet tall). I remembered reading about your corn height vs Thistlebloom's and was speculating that Mesa Pea may grow taller in cool/dark conditions, which is what we had in the Spring. The Fall crop only grew 12-18" tall and had very low production as compared to the Spring crop. Anyway, I wonder if that could account for the difference in corn height too, seeings as how Thistebloom is in Idaho.

The Idaho corn was taller than the Texas corn, but didn’t reach 7’ in height.