Sweetcorn Update. 6.12.2021

There was a lot of rain for the past couple of days. Before that I set up a lawn sprinkler to water the sweetcorn seedlings. I set out shallow plastric trays to measure, for an inch of artificial rain per watering, or just measure real rain. Today I fertilized and cultivated. The fertilizer was lawn nitrogen fertilizer, a couple of tablespoons per row. It's not organic but I have to compromise right now. This soil does not need mineral mix or organic matter in most organic feeds. Fish emulsion or Milorganite would work as well, but I don't want to buy anything right now. I fertilized the plantings that are a bit over a month old, not the just-germinated rows. 

Back bed (larger plants) is Trinity, planted in early May.  Front is the variety that I planted a week or so ago.

Back section is Early Sunglow, I forget the fron one - Delectable?  Planted late May.

I Planted the Last Batch of Sweet Corn. 6.2.2021

 I planted the last batch of sweetcorn.  From what I read, sweetcorn seeds don't keep long, maybe two years.  I plant the row with every other seed being last year's seeds, fest is this year's, to use up old seeds.  If the old ones grow, they will likely get thinned out.  However, there is often a need to plant extras because they dont all grow, or something eats them.  Hence the closer spacing at sowing time.

Last year I plants the last batch June 15.  I think those were not as productive as those planted June 1, and this year already seems hotter.  It's funny- for years I read that sweetcorn didn't grow here.  But it does, if you choose early or relatively cool-tolerant varieties.  And it's really good.

This batch is "Delectable".  The new seeds were from Johnny's in Maine.  Last year's were from  Territorial Seeds, bit they are too expensive now and their shipping is jaw-dropping expensive.  

I'm happy to have the last of the sweetcorn planted.  That's pretty much the almost final seed planting, except some odds and ends.  That's good because I don't have energy now for any more major soil prep and planting.

Planting Early Sweet Corn Seeds. 5.9.2021

 It's still early.  I usually start planting sweet corn about May 15th.  Even then the first crop doesn't always do that well.  Two weeks later usually works better.  Since I plant every two weeks until mid July, however, this time has some potential for an early crop.  This year seems warmer, earlier, than most years have been.  Plus, the soil temp is 20C which translates to 68F.  The minimum soil temp for sweetcorn is 65F so in theory, we're good.

This soil thermometer has a Fahrenheit reading but it's inaccessible on the back of the thermometer.  So I have to convert from Celsius.

These are the early types I'm trying this year.  I tried Early Sunglow a number of years ago and didn't like it.  It wasn't productive. However, this is a different location and maybe I'm better at it now.  Trinity is a type I liked a lot in the past, but couldn't find seeds for a while.  Seeds'n'Such seems to have some older varieties that I couldn't find elsewhere, so I bought them while looking at seed websites last winter.

Sweetcorn Harvest and Freezing. 9.18.2020

 Sweetcorn has been coming "on line" for the past week.  There were a few ears from the first planted batch, the second planted batch basically didn't grow or the plants got eaten by something.  So these are the third and fourth batches, which were planted early / mid June I think, and I wondered if that was too late. As it turned out, they are producing a lot of big tasty perfect ears.

This also answered a couple of questions I had.  One, there wasn't enough room to plant four-row blocs, which was recommended for best pollination.  Instead, I planted three-row blocs.  Those have done fine pollination-wise.  Maybe a few small ears, but not a problem.  I also wondered if they were planted too late.  This makes for a fall crop, but did much better than the earliest ones.  Which where OK and better than nothing when I got some sweet corn from those.  

There were a lot of tomatoes to pick at the same time as the sweetcorn.

I think these were "Ambrosia" but they might be "Bodaceous".  I like the "SE" type corn.  The supersweets are too sweet and not enough corn flavor.  The SE type ripens for me, is sweet but not sugary sweet, and has a good flavor, tender but not mushy kernels.

I blanch for three minutes in boiling water, transfer to ice water, and when cool, slice off "planks" of corn.  They don't make planks if sliced when hot, which is interesting.  I like those.  This is different from fresh, but such good flavor and so welcome in midwinter, that I grew extra this year just to freeze.  The last bloc is also almost ready to harvest.

Garden Update. 6.21.2020

This update is kind of general, lots of areas of my garden. Being June, things are growing fast and there are fresh  fruits and vegetables now.  There has been a lot of rain, so not much chance to weed and cultivate, so there is some catch up to do.  I over-planted, so some areas are too crowded.

This year I've been feeding the hummingbirds a lot more.  They are coming back and emptying the feeder every day.

Most of the vegetables are growing very well.  If something doesn't grow, I replace it. 

Bush beans didn't grow or something was eating the seeds from underground, despite protecting them above ground.  However the later planted rows are ok and growing true leaves now.  Sweetcorn also germinated unevenly and I replanted one bloc.  The first bloc is uneven.  I suppose the slower ones will catch up. 

I planted too many snowpeas.  The seeds were about 6 years old, and I didn't know if they would grow.  The Taiwan Sugar variety is hard to find, and those were seeds I had saved myself.  As it turned out, most did grow, about half of the Taiwan Sugar and most of the Oregon Spring.  The Taiwan Sugar is a bit less vigorous, but much earlier. None yet from Oregon Spring, but they are blooming now, very pretty.

I also planted the squashes where they don't have room to ramble as much as they will.  I had planted potatoes in the fenced garden because the nonfenced area was not ready, which resulted in some room limitation.  I will plan next year better. Still, the potatoes will be done in July, a month from now.

It was not a problem moving raspberry floricane plants this Spring.  They are bearing nicely and sent up a bunch of sturdy primocanes for next year.  The berries are tasty.

I thought I might have planted the pickle cucumbers too early, but they are growing very nice now.  So are the other cucumbers.  Dill isn't growing well.  Maybe it will take off soon.  Cilantro is growing nice.  On the other hand, I got the Jalapenos in too late.  They seem to be growing faster now so might still get a crop later.

I really enjoy those sedum / sempervivum planters, and they should never or almost never need watering.  They are very nice to look at.

Brunswick fig is looking pretty good this year.  Some are within deer reach, so I should do something about that.

Hummingbirds are emptying their feeder every day. 6.20.2020

Sedum planters filled in so nice.  Some are about to bloom. 6.20.2020

I think I know what to plant outside the fence.  Deer don't touch most herbs.  6.20.2020

I think a lot of the bush beans didn't grow because I planted them too early.  The last batch is growing nicely.  6.20.2020

More bush beans.  6.20.2020

The thornless raspberries that I moved in May did very well.  There have been berries to taste and primocanes are growing larger than the floricanes.  6.21.2020

The bush cucumbers (I think "Bushmaster" maybe?) are filling in.  I thought I planted them too early but they are doing well.  The dill is not growing so fast.  Cilantro looks good.  The mini apple tree grafts are behind the raised bed to shade the containers.  They look very good.  6.20.2020

More herbs, on the other side of the fenced garden.  6.20.2020

The sweetcorn is quite variable.  I wonder how much we will get.  There is still plenty of time for it to fill in.  6.20.2020

More sweetcorn, planted later.  Something ate a lot of the first plants.  6.20.2020

Sarracenia.  So lovely.  6.20.2020

Brunswick fig.  Maybe it will bear this year.  Some figs are too low, within deer reach.  6.20.2020

Kitchen Garden Update. 6.11.2020

There has been a lot of rain, so not easy to get into the garden for hoeing and weeding.  It's warm, so stuff is growing fast.

Outside the deer fence, I've been planting things that the herbivores usually don't bother.  So far so good.  Most are moved from other locations in my garden and yard.  Mostly herbs and some flowers.  So far, chives, garlic chives, oregano, artichoke, cilantro, swiss chard, mesclun, a couple of smaller irises, marigolds, horse radish, poppies.  I recently planted some zinnia seeds and moved some volunteer Four Oclocks and cosmos to this area.

The first crop of sweetcorn.  Small, but I think that every year about this time.

Fence on other side of garden.  Similar idea.

Looking west from the east gate.  We've been eating lots of greens.  Squashes have female but no male flowers.

Also looking west from the east gate.  Those tomatoes were kind of a response to concerns for food shortage.  There will be a lot of potatoes this year.

Snowpeas in bloom.  These are Oregon Spring.  The Taiwan Sugar variety has white flowers.

Bush beans.  That row was mesclun and radishes.  As soon as they were gone, I planted beans.

Jalapenos are a bit small but growing.  I started them too late.

This bed was a mess.  More Chinese chives, and irises, and a lot of weeds.  Now it's those jalapenos and Chinese Pink Celery, little seedlings.  On the north edge, some slicing cucumbers that will get a trellis.

I have the posts in place for slicing tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.  Down the center row, radishes are almost ready.

Cages are in place for sauce tomatoes.  I will try to keep them upright better this year.  Starting to put out flowers.

Yesterdays root crops and salad greens.  Red radishes, Japanese Wasabi radishes, Japanese white turnips, swiss chard, some pea shoots, mesclun, mustard greens, chives and lettuce.

Old raised bed, was strawberries and garlic chives, neither doing well.  I removed those, transplanting them into fresh soil.  Added some lime, and compost.  Now it's compact pickle cucumbers, some dill and cilantro.

More Vegetable Seeds. 6.2.2020

I planted some more vegetable seeds.  Something seems to be eating a lot of my planted bean seeds.  Several rows vanished completely.  Something also eats some of the plants after they germinate.  I'll try again, Landreth and Roma varieties.  I also planted some more dill and cilantro, which seem to be slow germinating, and the third batch of sweetcorn, this time Ambrosia hybrid.

The garden is very lush.  As usual, I was over-enthusiastic and planted too much.  Photos may follow in a day or two.

Squash, Potato, and Sweet CornZucchini Plants. 6.21.19

Potato Plants.  6.21.19

Most of the kitchen garden is looking pretty good.   I dug a couple of potato plants today, ones that had dried up looking leaves.  The vast majority are not ready yet. The summer squashes and zucchinis have early flower buds.  The sweet corn is irregular, with some large and some small plants, but the large ones are looking robust.

Zucchini Plants.  6.21.19

Sweet Corn Plants.  6.21.19

Sweetcorn Progress Report. 6.1.19

 The first batches of sweet corn look  OK.  I gave them a watering with fish emulsion.

I'm not sue the second batch will germinate.  It's only bern a week, so there is still a chance.  I thought I saw a couple of seedlings but those might be weeds.

Today I planted the third batch and thinned the first batch to a foot apart.  I planted this year's order of "Delectable" from Territorial Seeds.

They should do well here.

Sweetcorn Seedlings.  5.15.19

Seedlings are germinating nicely, planted last week. Zinnias, sweetcorn in the garden and cucumbers, some squashes, in the sunroom.

We had a hot spell, now chilly and rainy.  We'll see how that affects things.

Pickle Seedlings.  5.15.19

Zinnia Seedlings.  5.15.19

Growing Degree Days, Battleground WA

This information is from Western Regional Climate Center.

Trinity SE Sweetcorn need 1,190 heat units  Based on the info below, if I understand correctly, adding to May (now) 559 growing degree days, +1,190 = 1759 which occurs in August.  But I don't know that I understand this table correctly.

Pawpaws require 150 frost free days and 2200 growing degree days, which I am thinking we get here in Sept or Oct. Might be OK.

Station:(450482) BATTLE GROUND
From Year=1928 To Year=2012
Growing Degree Days for Selected Base Temperature (F)
Base	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
40 M	62	96	168	275	456	584	747	756	607	375	153	69	4348
40 S	62	159	326	602	1057	1641	2388	3144	3751	4126	4279	4348	4348
45 M	16	27	63	142	302	434	592	601	457	226	59	18	2938
45 S	16	43	106	249	551	985	1577	2178	2635	2861	2920	2938	2938
50 M	2	4	16	57	165	285	437	446	308	105	13	2	1840
50 S	2	6	22	78	243	528	965	1411	1719	1824	1837	1840	1840
55 M	0	0	2	17	72	150	284	292	171	33	1	0	1023
55 S	0	0	2	19	91	241	525	817	988	1021	1023	1023	1023
60 M	0	0	0	3	26	62	148	152	71	6	0	0	468
60 S	0	0	0	3	29	91	239	391	462	468	468	468	468
Corn Growing Degree Days
50 M	16	44	88	153	258	334	456	465	373	215	61	16	2479
50 S	16	60	148	300	559	892	1349	1814	2187	2402	2463	2479	2479

I bolded the bottom line.   That seems the most relevant.

Interpretation of the table:

"M = Monthly Data
S - Running sum of monthly data. 

Growing Degree Day units =  (Daily Ave. Temp. - Base Temp.) 

One unit is accumulated for each degree Fahrenheit the average temperature is above the base temperature. Negative numbers are discarded. 

Example: If the days high temperature was 95 and the low temperature was 51, the base 60 heating degree day units is ((95 + 51) / 2) - 60 = 13. This is done for each day of the month and summed.

Corn Growing Degree Day units have the limitations that the maximum daily temperatures greater than 86 F are set to 86 F and minimums less than 50 F are set to 50 F. "