CURUZA - BENEFITS OF GROWING, LANDING AND CARE

Corn is different. In the garden, you need to sow only sugar, or vegetables, and not grain. We tell you how they differ and how to grow a good harvest of delicious cobs in the Moscow region.

BENEFITS OF GROWING CORN

In the view of many gardeners, corn is a capricious southern crop, so planting it in the middle lane is an empty undertaking, except perhaps for fun. However, my personal experience proves that in the Moscow region and even to the north, it grows well and manages to give an excellent harvest of tender and appetizing cobs. You just need to know the intricacies of growing and choose the right varieties. It seems to me that 80% of success depends on them.

In the garden, it makes sense to grow only sweet corn. Firstly, grain varieties often simply do not have time to ripen in our climate. Secondly, the conversion of sugars into starch in sweet corn proceeds very slowly; at the stage of milky ripeness, the grain is especially sweet (8-16% sugars), soft and tasty.

I have identified for myself several properties that give the “queen of the fields” the right to take a worthy place in the ranking of garden crops.

1. Corn is rich in vitamins, enzymes, mineral salts, organic acids. It is a valuable source of ferulic acid, an antioxidant that prevents inflammation and slows down aging. Varieties with yellow grains accumulate vitamin E and carotene.

In terms of calories, corn is superior to vegetable beans and green peas. A decoction of corn stigmas is useful for urolithiasis: it helps dissolve sand and kidney stones.

2. The powerful root system of corn loosens the soil and stifles weeds, so that next year weeding in this place is minimized.

3. Plants are practically not affected by diseases and pests, they tolerate drought and temperature changes well, and are resistant to lodging.

4. Corn plantations serve as windbreaks for heat-loving crops: soil tomatoes, pumpkins, beans and cucumbers.

5. Strong corn stalks are a good support for cucumber lashes if the plants are planted on the same bed. But it must be borne in mind that due to the large green mass, they can drown out each other, so the distance between plants must be increased.

6. And lastly, everyone loves sweet cobs, without exception, boiled and raw.

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Reference by topic: Fertilizers for sweet corn - when, how and with what fertilizers

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SUBTLETS OF AGROTECHNOLOGY OF CORN IN THE MOSCOW REGION

It must be remembered that corn is thermophilic. The optimum temperature for the growth and development of plants is 18-24 °, therefore, in the middle lane in open ground

seeds are sown no earlier than mid-May, when the soil warms up to 10-15 °. To obtain an early harvest, corn is grown through seedlings.

In order not to mess with numerous pots, I prepare seedlings in film

greenhouse, which we usually cover for the May holidays. I sow in a row at the edge of the bed, laying out dry grains in a groove 3-5 cm deep at a distance of about 5 cm from each other.

Shoots appear in about a week. As soon as the threat of frost has passed, I carefully dig up the seedlings, which by this time reach about 10 cm in height, and transplant them into the garden along with a lump of earth, trying not to damage the roots.

Corn does best on slightly alkaline or neutral, loose, well-fertilized soils. Therefore, in the holes before landing, I put 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ash, a handful of granulated chicken manure or 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska, add compost or humus.

If there are a lot of seedlings, it is more convenient to occupy a whole field for the plantation, planting plants in a square-nested way according to the 50 × 50 cm pattern. Or in a checkerboard pattern, also 50 × 50 cm. .

If there are few seedlings or there is not enough space, you can plant seedlings in a garden bed with other vegetables, while trying not to shade them, since corn is a tall plant. By the way, many summer residents make wide aisles for corn and plant beans, cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkins in them.

Corn is very photophilous, so I choose only open sunny places for it. Potatoes, tomatoes and early vegetables are considered the best predecessors. It also succeeds perfectly in the virgin lands, freeing it from weeds for the next year.

In the 4-5 leaf phase, I feed the plantings with a solution of ammonium nitrate or an infusion of mullein or bird droppings. Before the appearance of panicles, I fertilize again.

Plants at first need to be hilled up so that additional roots form, it is also useful to mulch the soil.

Every week I water the beds abundantly until the soil is completely wet to a depth of 20-30 cm. The lack of moisture during the formation of cobs leads to their rapid over-ripening, which reduces the yield and quality of grain.

If the summer is cool, corn should be pinched, breaking out weak side shoots.

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See also: Vegetable sweet corn, planting and care - agronomist tips

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NUANCES OF CORN POLLINATION

During flowering, corn first throws out male inflorescences.

panicles at the tops of the stems. When shaken, a cloud of pollen appears. A few days later, female inflorescences bloom - cobs in the axils of the leaves. Long greenish threads hang from them - these are pistils. Pollen is carried from panicles to cobs by wind. Manual pollination of corn, as many gardeners think, is not necessary.

Only in very hot, calm weather during flowering should the stems be shaken slightly from time to time. If this is not done, you will encounter a through-grain - incomplete formation of grains with gaps.

After pollination, the cobs begin to fill up and quickly increase in size.

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See also: Corn - seedlings and in the open ground. Landing and care

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LONG-WAITED COB HARVEST

I take off the cobs selectively starting from the 20-25th day after flowering, when the corn stigmas at the top turn brown and dry out. They must be broken out with a downward twisting motion. The most delicious are harvested at the stage of milky ripeness, when an oily whitish liquid is released from the crushed grains. But these should be used immediately for food, as they quickly wither and deteriorate. However, if immediately placed in the refrigerator, they are stored for up to 7 days.

In the fall, when the last crop is harvested, corn stalks and leaves turn into shelter for heat-loving crops and replenish the compost heap.

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Reference by topic: Growing corn is both a good and a shade. Care and growing

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VARIETIES OF CORN ONE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER

Many varieties have already been in my beds, but the F1 Sundance hybrid has long remained a favorite. I liked it, first of all, for the unusually sweet taste of the grains, as well as for the early maturity and high yield in the northern Moscow region. Small (about 1 m tall) compact plants very quickly begin to bush, so that with good care, the cobs have time to ripen even on lateral shoots. From one plant in a good summer, you can take up to 5 pieces of large and a few more small cobs, which are edible whole with a tender core.

F Baron proved to be excellent in our conditions - a super early hybrid with a ripening period of 64-67 days after germination. The plants are strong, 180-190 cm high. 2-4 ears 18-22 cm long are formed on each stem, the first ear is laid at a height of 60-65 cm from the ground. The grains are light yellow, very sweet, the cobs are distinguished by good workmanship.

We can also recommend an ultra-early hybrid F, Caramello. Cobs are ready in 59-65 days after germination. The plants are compact, up to 130 cm high. On one stem, 2 cobs up to 24 cm long are formed with juicy light yellow sweet grains. In the southern regions, due to the precocity, the harvest of this hybrid can be obtained twice per season.

An early ripe F1 Vega hybrid is ready for harvest 70-75 days after germination. Plants are tall (1-8 m), with dark green leaves. On one stem, 2 cobs 2-20 cm long can form. The grains are good for freezing and canning.

Honey nectar is an excellent early variety (60-70 days from germination). It is unpretentious, gives a crop in the conditions of a cold short summer. Plants are resistant to lodging, 1-2 m high. Cobs up to 1 cm long. Grains are golden, sweet.

The early ripe variety Gourmand Belogorya is unpretentious, adapts well to any weather conditions. Ripens on the 82nd day after germination. Plants up to 150 cm high, cobs up to 20 cm long, with large, juicy, sweet golden yellow grains.

Of the later varieties, F1 Megaton is worthy of attention. The plants are powerful, up to 250 cm high, up to 3 cobs about 30 cm long are formed on each stem. The grains are large, rich yellow. Harvest can be harvested after 85 days. Cobs are well stored, remaining juicy and sweet for a long time.

For lovers of the exotic, varieties of sweet corn with small sweet white grains have been bred.

The early ripe variety Snow White (75-80 days) is resistant to temperature changes. The cobs are even, cylindrical, 18-20 cm long and weighing up to 200 g. The grains are distinguished by a rich milky color, sweet and juicy.

The mid-early Mermaid variety is ready for harvesting 80-90 days after germination. The cobs are conical, 16-18 cm long and weighing 200-250 g. The grains are white, with a pleasant lemon tint, dessert flavor and high sugar content.

CORN COOKING - A NOTE TO THE HOUSEHOLD

Fresh corn cobs are usually boiled in salted water, or you can heat them in the microwave (10 minutes) right with the leaves.

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Reference by topic: Colored corn - varieties and history of cultivation

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SECRETS OF GROWING CORN - VIDEO

© Author: I. BELOZEROVA Moscow

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