So, I've been asking a few folks around here, and I'm not getting a clear picture as to when to plant my corn. One person said they planted in late June last year, but had some problems. I'm not sure if the problems she had were related at all to when she planted or just other things she did wrong. Others have said just plant after the frosts are done, and our frosts are done by late April. So, I was thinking of planting in early to mid-May, but I had some questions:

We get really hot summers here, is it better to have the corn planted later so it's ready later in the summer?

How long between planting and ear-production? Is it generally all ready at once, or will it be staggered over a few weeks?

I want to dry it on the stalk, do I need to peel back the husks to let them dry, or do they peel back on their own enough to allow them to dry on the stalk? (I want to make corn meal with it.)

Thanks for your wisdom.

Awesome. Thank you. Maybe I'll plant on my birthday (May 2nd.) I know the mornings are usually good and warm enough by then. I'll be planting blue corn for blue corn meal.

"knee high by the 4th of July" I'll remember that one.

My maize won't be close together, it'll be a stalk to a mound with beans climbing each stalk and pumpkins growing around the base. I'm hoping I get the watering right for all 3. I imagine they're like most plants in that you let the soil go almost dry or even before watering (every 2 or 3 days right now, every 1 or 2 days as summer approaches.) I think the lavender is the most water-picky thing I have in the plot (hates overwatering) I'm sure I'll do alright with everything else. I hope I do alright with the lavender too.

Whether or not I save seeds for re-planting, rather than grinding them all, depends on what other maize folks around me are growing. My little plot is surrounded by other plots, a few of which will also be growing corn. Who knows, I might just like whatever natural hybrid comes out though.

I believe the "3 sisters" mound should have 2-3 stalks of corn; I think that's so they help hold each other up?

In CA May 2 may be OK. You'll know by soil temps and you'll "just feel it too" In WA sometimes I took chances and planted early but also seeds in a cold frame. Any didn't come up were replaced with the starts at 6" or so.

Watch critters! Crows like to get them at 2" high. Pull them out and eat the seed. I had a big patch, a full pound rare Floriana red flint to make red corn meal. Gone a weekend, they got every seed but 1.

No sweat with the other corn around you. You WILL get whatever you plant, exactly. Thing is if you save seeds, THOSE are the cross polinated surprise seeds.

Have fun, I do

Yeah, our weather is unpredictable for that time of year, so I'll just see how it is going. I just want to get it in as early as it's capable, partly so I won't be fighting the summer heat as much during early growing when the pumpkins leaves haven't shaded the mound yet. We get well over 100 for several days most summers. Our last few summers have been very unusually cool, but that doesn't mean it will be this year.

I am concerned about crows a bit. My spiritual beliefs would never allow me to harm a crow. I may put in a scarecrow or something though, or just pray that enough people have corn growing that the crows don't hurt any one person's crop too hard. They say they haven't had many crow problems there in the past, but I'm letting mine dry on the stalk for meal, which isn't something anyone there has tried yet. We do have a LOT of crows in this city.

I looked at some other websites, and I saw a big difference between the site I posted and most others. Most others don't do a separate mound for the squash, which is what I thought. the whole purpose of the squash is to cover the corn/bean mound at the base, to shade it and help protect against predators.

I've got a buddy that has some Golden Comets, he gave me six dozen fresh eggs, I may pickle some this evening. And speaking of pickled, I would like to get that way also..