No idea on that one Robert, but wanted to welcome you to the Forum.

I do know from living in NE for the last 3 years that at least there, there is not a long enough growing season to run 2 crops of corn. And that they detassel corn to stop cross-pollination. I just do not know how all that works.

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We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

Beebiz...not an expert, but I believe the major problem is with the supersweet hybrids. If they are pollinated by a non-super, you'll get "feedcorn." The bantams are not supersweets.
You shouldn't have to wait 'til anything like harvest time to plant another corn. Check out the days to harvest in the descriptions, and use that as the basis for planting times...it may be that this is just a rough guideline, though.

Robert, Here is a bit about detasseling that I found out there on the web. Hope you stick around with us and let us know how the corn does.

Corn detasseling is the crucial last step in producing hybrid corn seed. It involves removing the pollen-producing top part of the plant, the tassel, so the corn can't pollinate itself. Instead, pollen from another variety of corn grown in the same field is carried by the wind, pollinating the detasseled corn. The result is corn that bears the genetic characteristics of both varieties and can produce healthier crops with higher yields. Despite technological advances in agriculture, detasseling is still a task that for the most part is done by hand.

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We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

Robert,

Apparently you did not hit the banter hall, coffeehouses. That is where we get wild, rowdy and sarcastic but all in good fun. You will find that we are a big happy family here. We all love to garden, but more importantly we all treasure the friendships we have found here. We laugh and cry together and we learn from one another both old and new.

You were obviously brought here for a reason and I am glad you found us. I know Bill will smile when he reads what wonderful things you have to say about the place he has made home for us all.

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We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart.

Robert...let me throw my 1 1/2 cents worth in. I knew pretty much nothing about what I was trying to do in the garden when I came here...and I mean pretty much nothing AT ALL!!! I have asked some of the most sure fired stupid questions thinkable! But not one time has anyone ever done anything but be extremely patient and helpful and babied me through the entire process. As a matter of fact...when I did something WRONG...I got praised for trying...now , you just can't beat that with a stick. Last year...my second summer here..I had 3 successful veggie gardens and 4 successuful herb gardens...not to mention my new strawberry & blackberry beds and the flowers. And not so much that I know everything I need to know...as much as I know where to find the answers I need!
So, know that you are welcome here...and know that we WILL pick your brain from time to time...some of us need all the help we can get!!!
So, welcome and make yourself at home!

~V~

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Happiness, like a dessert so sweet.
May life give you more than you can ever eat...
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BTW ~V~, I'm glad that you have found the proper guidance and help to enable you to have successful gardens. It is my wish and my prayer that you continue to have success in your endeavors.

As for picking my brain, I only have one functional brain cell, and it misfires about 80-85% of the time!! :>0 But if you find anything in there that you can use, you are welcome to it! A word of caution though. If you start to pick my brain, you might want to bring a flashlight with some good batteries. It's awful dark in there!! :>0 :>0

Robert

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My New Web Site If you take a look, please sign my guest book so I'll know you've been there! Also, check out the new African Violet addition to my site! Thanks

Triss,

I wish I could do the stair step gardening!! As bad as my back is, I'm lucky to garden at all!! :>) There's no way my back would hold out to make the first step, much less the rest. And, we don't have the $$$$ to pay someone to do it!!

As for no-til gardening, it's a kissing cousin to no-til farming. Do a Google search for "no-till gardening" and you should get several sources for information.

Here's what I intend to do with the tomatoes. I'll lay a relatively thick layer of newspaper (could use cardboard, but have lots of newspaper) right on top of the grass, wet it down to hold it in place, and let it stay for a few weeks to kill the grass. I will then mulch that with compost, leaves, coffee grounds, and other organics. When ready to set out tomatoes, I will part the mulch, dig a hole through the newspaper and into the dirt, add soil amendments as necessary, and set the tomato plants in the hole. By not tilling the ground, the worms, beneficial insects, dormant grass/weed seeds and other "good for the garden stuff" doesn't get disturbed. The newspaper serves as a weed barrier, and the mulch helps control moisture. The mulch also makes it easy to weed around the plants due to the fact that the grass seeds don't germinate as well in it as they do in soil, and when they do germinate, they have a hard time setting root systems. And in my case, the no-til gardening helps prevent the loss of valuable top soil.

Well, that's the "fast food" version! Like I said, you can find lots of information through a Google search on the subject.

My wife and I love new potatoes that are fresh from the garden. But with my bad back, digging them is completely out of the question. So, I've done some reasearch on the subject and have found an alternative way to grow them that I may try. Here's the quick version of this idea:

First, cardboard or newspaper is laid on the ground in a row. Next, seed potatoes are placed on top of the paper and spaced properly. Next, they are covered with several inches of straw or wasted hay (5-6"). Next, as the plants grow, continue to hill them up with the straw or wasted hay. Finally, when ready to harvest, simply brush or rake away the straw or hay and pick up your potatoes. NO DIGGING!!!!!! It was also noted that this method allows the gardener to "steal" a few early potatoes without disturbing the whole plant. Simply replace the straw that was removed to get to the potatoes.

If this works as easily as is claimed, it will be a dream come true for my wife and I. We love new potatoes.

Triss, it's late and I've got to get to bed. Hope you have enjoyed reading this and I hope it helps someone.

Have a good night,
Robert

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My New Web Site If you take a look, please sign my guest book so I'll know you've been there! Also, check out the new African Violet addition to my site! Thanks

Welcome Robert,

Enjoyed reading your post. I to have trouble with gardening although mine is endurance related. I garden in about 15 minute periods lol. Although I have been known to do an hour and a half when it comes to the compost bin lol. I have a slope and am building steps every chance I get. Recently I got some bricks from a home demo in the area. So next year I'll be trowelling the garden. Oh boy, that was a bad one lol. I couldn't resist. Fortunately I don't pun often.

Hope you are having a great holiday season.

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