Page 1 of 1

Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:03 am
by bob in CT
:cry: The radar looked rough from work and then the report came out about a possible tornado not too far from my house. I am a little sheltered in a hollow near the top of the hill but not sheltered enough.

All the later season corn is laying flat. I may be able to prop it up but more severe weather is possible today.
Image

My Incredible corn was mature on the first ear and young on the second. Third ear needs more time. Looks like it all gets picked today. The Silver Queen in the background was fine. It has very sturdy feeder roots starting about 5-6 inches above the ground.

Image

My 8 foot tall Peaches and Cream was hammered except for a couple of plants. That is the Silver Queen in the background. The corn is laying down in three different directions.

Image

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:11 pm
by beaconlight
Yep I know the feeling. We had that happen a few years back. We salvaged some and propped the rest up. It helped

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:17 am
by Pabst
Hopefully you will able to salvage some of the corn!

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:08 am
by Bob Perry
That's awful. But that's farming. I'm thinking back when we had the "real" farm. If not a hurricane, tornado, drought, monsoon, a couple of times the army worms came through. And of course the weeds. Seems like a lot of things work against ya !

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:43 am
by bob in CT
Pabst wrote:Hopefully you will able to salvage some of the corn!

I picked a couple of coolers of Incredible and gave it away to my tenants and neighbors. I was kind of surprised to find the Peaches and Cream was starting to mature so I will look at picking that later. Been to darn humid to think about blanching and freezing. The young corn is starting to stand up on its own. I didn't touch it yesterday as we had more torrential downpours.

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:46 am
by Billy Fussell
I have had my corn to blow down, and it will try to straighten up on its own. If it is close to maturity, it will finish making just like it is. Not pretty though.

Billy

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:10 am
by John *.?-!.* cub owner
bob in CT wrote:
Pabst wrote:....Been to darn humid to think about blanching and freezing........
Have you tried freezing it without blanching? Hardly anyone in this area blanches corn before freezing it in this area anymore.

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:44 am
by bob in CT
I have not. I should try it. My stand alone freezer croaked with a bumper crop of blueberries in it- about 30 gallons. I have not replaced it but I sure miss my own corn in the winter. I heard people freeze the cob, too, but I don't have the space anymore. I suppose microwaving it would substitute for blanching if someone still wanted to cook it first.

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:10 am
by Bob McCarty
Bob, I think you need to get an aerial view of your corn patch and make sure it's not crop circles. :D

Bob

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 1:55 pm
by ScottyD'sdad
I came home from Power of the Red, to some blow down, but not a lot of damage. Ed

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:04 pm
by bob in CT
Billy Fussell wrote:I have had my corn to blow down, and it will try to straighten up on its own. If it is close to maturity, it will finish making just like it is. Not pretty though.

Billy

Billy, This morning, most of the young corn was standing up again. I think the elves visited last night! :lol:

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:49 pm
by grasser
Unless the stalks break, I've almost always had most of a blow down straighten back up.
It's pretty amazing how they just curve up from the ground.

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:21 pm
by SONNY
We had some go down a couple years ago just a little shy of maturity, and it did fine!--Just kinda hard to pick and walk--eeerrr stumble down the rows to pick the ears off!!!---give it a little time and I think you will still get your freezer quota yet!--happy corn eating come the ole howling winds of winter!

We never freeze it on the cob since it wastes valuable freezer space plus tastes cobby, so we cut it all off and bag it in smaller bags! thanks; sonny

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:42 pm
by ScottyD'sdad
We never freeze it on the cob since it wastes valuable freezer space plus tastes cobby, so we cut it all off and bag it in smaller bags! thanks; sonny[/quote]

I agree with Sonny, about the cobby taste. (I admit to being a little picky, about sweet corn, though) I cook the corn, quick cool it, cut it off the cobs, heat seal, and freeze in boilable bags. (more for freezer burn protection, than for reheating ease, although it is convenient to reheat) Ed

Re: Corn Blow-Down

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:54 pm
by Billy Fussell
Yep. Elves can be helpful sometimes.

Billy