I'm in Michigan. This summer I planted my first corn crop. When the stalks were about 4 feet tall about half of them toppled over, apparently because they were planted too shallow. I hoed the soil between the rows up around the roots and straightened them I also tied them up using strings tied to the fence. After a couple of weeks the strings were removed and I had no more trouble with them falling.
The stalks reached a height of 6-7 feet. As I only had 4 rows of about 15 feet each, I shook the tassels to help in pollination. Don't know if it was necessary but it seemed to work.
In checking for doneness of the ears I peeled the shucks back a bit and mostly the kernels looked real good. Some were not ripe. Then I read that I just needed to wait for the hair to turn brown and dry out. Well, it turned brown but it never seemed to dry out. I also had some infestation from little round beetles. Not to many but enough to worry me for a while.
The finished corn was wonderful. I was raised to eat corn with butter and salt. Never cared for it. Now I eat it plain and I love it. I even ate some fresh off the stalk. I didn't even know you could do that.
Questions...
How much soil do I need on top of the underlying clay? I currently have about 4 inches.
What are those beetles? Where do they come from and how to I stop them?
How to I know when the corn has reached full ripeness?
Comments please.
