Shelley, I won't comment much on soil temperature since you already noted some information about it. I doubt if any corn will germinate with temperatures down around 40F and it will take up to 3 weeks (if it doesn't rot :o( with temps at 50°F. In my area, the soil doesn't warm up above that until we are well into the growing season. Regarding cross-pollination: I often grow a little ornamental corn. It is always as isolated from the sweet corn as I can get it but they are in the same garden. Maturing at different times, cross-pollination isn't much of a problem but it does occur. The result is a few brightly colored seeds in a few ears of the sweet corn. Think of it this way, if we crossed a white-faced Hereford with a Black Angus - we'd expect white-faced black calves. There'd be a subtle difference in the taste of the beef from the meat of the 2 parent breeds. With corn, one parent plant grows the ear the other parent plant is growing the pollen laden tassel. And, we are -gasp- eating their babies!! Steve

Rob, I don't use a method per se, instead I use some rough principles that I adapt to each tree. I do start with low scaffolds but I may end up with only 2 or even 1 scaffold as the tree matures. 1 scaffold is only in super narrow spacing areas, most of my trees are Vs at the 3' spacing thats the most common. I don't have super low scaffolds heading out from the main trunk, due to deer and easy mowing I have moved things a bit higher up. Many of my rows are only 10' apart and if the scaffolds are all heading out at 2' from the trunk you will not have a row to walk in after things have filled in. 10' was probably too close but I adapted my pruning method to account for that. Anyway the above is very much based on my planting the trees in a 3'x10' arrangement; if the spacing was different I would be pruning a lot differently and if your trees are not 3'x10' its probably not super relevant for you. Re: the above article, I agree its intended for commercial growers and isn't super relevant to home growers. But it does help elucidate some principles of pruning: every different approach and results from it are useful information. Fruitnut, Re: brix I notice he mentioned they are always irrigating near harvest time: pump water into the fruit! Thats the exact opposite of what a home grower wants and its a reason why grocery store fruit is so mediocre. Scott

Oh goodness!! 'What a can of worms' I think I have opened regarding my preference for the 'old' less 'sweet' varieties of sweet corn!!! I guess it may be a matter of our genes as to which we prefer as there is a difference even in we of an older generation as to which we liked best! Yes,I remember the field corn back then didn't have a name ... just a hybrid number & college kids could earn some money detassling the hybrid corn in the fields back then. Shumways catalog still has that hybrid corn seed for sale in their catalog as do nurseries in the farm areas around the State.. Yes, 'wertach' ... the field corn was edible for only a short period of time before it was no longer edible but still if picked at the right time it was SO good cooked in a pot of boiling water, slathered in butter with a salt shaker near by... oh, and a lot of toothpicks!!! Haven't kept track of this site, but do the 'sugar inhanced variety people' outnumber the old corn flavor preference people now? ha

Rare Hickory Cane Corn Available Everyone I have talked with who grew up growing/eating this variety have the best of memories! I have been searching for the Hickory Cane Corn for more than three years. You should see faces light up while talking about the good foods this corn made. An example: We were invited to our friend's son's Eagle Scout Awards. There was another young man also getting the award. His father grew up in the mountains of Georgia and I asked if they had grown the Hickory Cane Corn. He excitedly said yes they did and was surprised that I had asked that! Families grew it, saved the seed for the next year, and shared it with family and friends. The "tradition" in the old days was the sharing of seed with newly wed couples. Two good examples are Kentucky Heirloom Viva: It is sometimes listed as Viva or as Viva Lindsey's Kentucky Wedding and Nebraska Wedding Tomato Kentucky Heirloom Viva: It is sometimes listed as Viva or as Viva Lindsey's Kentucky Wedding. Listed in the 1991 SSE by Harold Martin of Hopkinsville, KY says he's the original source and describes it as an excellent late Fall tomatoIt was a wedding present from the Martin family in 1904; this was a tradition often used with newly weds at that time. It produces fruit that is a pale yellow/ivory to white type fruit with pink blush on the bottom portion, flavor is mild/light sweet, and fruit can grow to more than a pound. It is Ponderosa shaped, to 4 inches, does not keep well. Grown by Viva Lindsey's family for 100 years. Indeterminate, regular leaf, a little known tomato variety and difficult to find. Nebraska Wedding Tomato Mrs. Beiswenger of Crookston, MN, is credited for introducing this tomato to the Seed Savers Network. She received the tomato seeds from Mrs. Englert of Sandpoint, ID in 1980. Mrs. Englert was 72 at the time and said "Nebraskan brides were given seeds of this tomato as a wedding gift. It was said to have been brought from MN by pioneers in the late 1800s via covered wagons. And it thrived in cold, windy Nebraska." Nebraska Wedding has apricot-orange skin and flesh. 3-4" globes are juicy with a well balanced acid-sweet flavor and can weight up to a pound. Determinate vines, 90 Days. __________________ "We believe we mere debtors to God in relation to each other and all men, to improve our Time and Talents in this Life, in that manner in which we might be most useful." Shaker Covenant 1795