Storm 1, Corn 0

mike_in_paradise

15 years ago

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

We had a bad storm yesterday! 50 mm of water and 90 km/hr winds.

Lots of Damage..

My poor corn in my square foot garden box.. And it was doing so well!

{{gwi:106589}}
By mikeinparadise at 2008-08-16

Blew down a willow tree into my strawberry patch as well as uprooting some other trees I planted last summer.

My wife was off overseas for work and as I dropped her off at the airport I said that the corn on the hill will probably be blown down but the square foot box of corn should be ok as the beans were all wrapped around and it is in a more sheltered spot!

WRONG!

Corn on the hill was just a little slanted but Should be fine.

The problem with the beans inter-planted was that it was all one tangles mess to try and upright. You could not just grab one corn stalk to straighten it as a bean tied it to another.

I cut some of the beans and cut 50 sticks from the bush and tied it all back up. Lots of very unpleasant cracking sounds when straightening it out.

I also mixed up some liquid fertilizer and gave it a shot and am hoping this will help it recover. The corn is only a week or so from being ready to eat! (If we get some sun!)

So has anyone recovered corn from a blow down! Anything else that I should be doing?

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Comments (10)

wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
15 years ago
Has anyone else had a corn blow-down? Ha! With 8 plantings one is likely to get some of that. It hasn't been bad this year...only number 6 and 7 had to be straighened back up twice. If it is a foot or less tall, it will be back up fully even if it was flat. Corn taller than that will have some bend in it unless raised back up that day or the next. Tasseled corn needs to be pulled back up and stomped on the one side. It will soon harden and be alright.
suseart
15 years ago
Oh no!!!!!! I hope the very unpleasant crackling sounds weren't indicative of any lasting damage. When I was a little girl my dad always grew corn, and sometimes had to tie up droopy ones a couple times during the season, but we still had nice harvests. I hope they all recover!
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My corn crops were leveled by heavy rainstorms in 2005, 2006, and 2007... but not so this year. Fully expecting a repeat, I had even taken "before" pictures this year to show a before and after comparison. One heavy rainstorm that would have knocked down the corn hit a few miles to the southwest. I'm sure the backyard corn growers there were not happy. Nonetheless, this year I was "let off the hook"... Based on my success with having taking the "before" pictures this year, I think this needs to be standard practice each year. Ahhh, the joys of gardening...
farmerboybill
15 years ago
Hi Mike,

My corn got flattened at tassel this year. I pounded a T post at each end of every other 20 foot row, tied a twine string to one post, threaded it under the plants, pulled them all up at the same time, and tied the twine off to the other post. It worked pretty slick. The plants completely recovered within a couple days. I coulda pulled up the t posts, but left them in case we got whacked again. We're now enjoying sweet corn from the plot.

{{gwi:83194}}

{{gwi:83195}}
rose_nutty
15 years ago
I have found that hilling the corn at about knee high greatly reduces it being blown over at maturity. In my garden, that's a lot of work (I plant 2 50'x100' gardens largely to corn) but totally worth it. Of course, in a really strong storm, nothing can save it. However, if you mound the dirt around the base of the corn a good 4-6" at knee high, as it grows, it puts anchor roots out and holds better. The old-timers (my dad when he was alive) would cultivate one last time at about that time and would set the shovels deeper for just that reason (more dirt thrown up around the stalks).
mike_in_paradise
Original Author
15 years ago
After I straightened this out we had another bad storm day and even with the sticks some of the corn went down again.

I did check out one cob when I was doing this and brought it home and ate it so no matter what I can at least say I got corn as this is my 3rd year trying to get a crop.

{{gwi:106593}}

Still needs a week or so!
flora2b
15 years ago
A few things to try to help with the blow down of corn. Obviously a shorter corn is less likely to blow over....so growing shorter varieties is a great idea.
You can also remove the tassel and top 6-12" of stalk after pollination with no loss to corn ear size.
As said before, hilling at knee high is a great idea and helps.
I have tied my corn before after it has fallen and depending on the maturity have found that leaving it is sometimes better than trying to stand it up.
mike_in_paradise
Original Author
15 years ago
The picture makes it look better than it does in person....
{{gwi:106594}}

The cobs do not seem to be progressing since it fell over...

We will see what happens....
firsttim115
14 years ago
I live in S.E. Ohio. I have 3 rows of silver queen corn 20 feet long. I had an early start to my corn and 2 rows are already approx. 3 ft. The smaller row is 1-2 ft. on the S.W. lower side (more shade) on that side.

We had a storm last night (Jun 16, 2009) and most of the smaller row was blown over which kind of blew me over (short corn down taller up?). I tilled the other day and the soil between rows was wet but fairly loose. I put on my crocks (footwear)and pulled dirt around the base of the stalks then lightly stomped on the side opposite the direction of the wind. I righted the corn as I pulled dirt. They look good now but the suspected continuing rain could put me back out there this week. It has already been a rainy spring here.

Later, as the corn becomes taller, I may set some tomatoe steaks and weave some jute (twine) in for added support. A good crop will be worth any added effort I put into it. I'm beginning to better understand one effect from Adam on all of us (Gen 3:17-19). Gardens need prayer!
uckoberry_aol_com
12 years ago
Thanks for the insight,maybe it will work for me.The corn was looking so good,and I was so ready for some sweet corn on the cob that I raised

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wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana

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