Hi Bunkie--Sayyy, you've got a new avatar there! Nice one. I don't know red miracle corn, but it sounds good. How many batches will you get, do you think? The temps on my lottie do not get below -10°C. I really hope that you can get your greenhouse ready before winter sets in...I sure wush that I could have one, but I must take out all the glass each fall because of vandals. As for the winter growing--Sure you can! Hallo Sherry, I'm glad that you liked the bee foto, The morning sun caught him just right at that particular moment. Now...when you say, "bi-coloured corn", do you mean cobs with say, white and yellow kernals...or the north american ones that have shades of very dark red. If it is the former, yes, we can get that sort here. I have never tried it though. Tell me more about this sort, please. Thank you, Jewell for such a nice, complimentary posting. Yes, it's hard to believe that it's all coming to an end now. I already am missing the blooms. I can be hopelessly sentimental when it comes to flowers, y'know. I recently spoke with the Food Bank contact to touch base--and he said that the folks were happy with the fresh produce and every friday when they give out the packages, there is never anything left over at all. I am already making plans for seeds and thinking of what I want to buy for myself and the Food Bank next year. I may try a few new things again. I usually think of what other members plant then look around for something different so tnat there can be some variation.
hi sjoerd! i figured it was time to 'warm-up' my avatar. got tired of looking at the snow....which will be here in another 2 months maybe 3 if we're lucky! the Red Miracle Corn is something new i tried this year. you can read about it here...http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2 ... -2008.html it's so sweet that the yellow jackets were after it when the first batch ripened! it is not a stable seed yet, and as well as the red kernaled ears, there are some with yellow and white. all sooo deliscious! i'm saving a bunch of seed this year and will grow again next year, and the year after to try and create a tur strain. hubby was at first dissapointed cause he thought the ears looked sort of smallish, but when we opened them, they were plumb full of giant kernals! this variety has both huge and medium sized ears. as for batches, i did two plantings, a couple weeks apart. started them in long paper pots that i made to give them a head start. i take a cardboard tube from paper towels for the form to roll the newspaper around. tear the news paper in 7 1/4" inch strips that will go at least twice around the form (2 and 1/2 times is actually better). measure up 6" from the end of the tube and draw a line around it at this point. wrap your newsprint around the tube, Fold the excess under to form the bottom of the pot. slip off the pot, fill with dirt and you have a nice deep pot 6" deep that will stay good for at least 3 weeks. then when you are ready to plant out, you plant the corn, pot and all. tear off the top inch or so and bury the paper pot completely. i tried this for the first time this year and it worked great. got it from a friend on another forum. about the bi-colored corn, sherry, do you mean like the Rainbow Inca or Triple Play Corns? we really have enjoyed the Rainbow Inca in the past. one can eat it as sweet fresh corn early on, or let it grow more and become a starchy, still very tasty. here's an interesting link on how it was developed...http://www.eatabbo.org/rainbow-inca-corn.html that's too bad about you having to take the glass out of your greenhouse each year. we're going to try something different this time...poly (something) twin wall panels, i.e. thick plastic type walls. it'll be just an outside wall, and if need be, we can put another inside plastic wall to make a 'pocket' for insulation. this ought to hold up better to the unusual heavy snowfalls we've been getting the last two years. you should look into it sjoerd...that would sure fool those vandals, huh???!
Thanks for thast nice, long posting, Bunkie. There was lots of info in it. I shall go to the links and read. I like using paper pots for germination. I use them too, for some plants and root trainers for others. The plastic is something that I have looked into for the greenhouse, but oddly enopugh, If I use plastic for the walls, the insurence company will not cover the house. Is that crazy 'er wot! They absolutely refuse.
