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Garden Gate:  The Miracle of Corn  |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 17 2005 : 11:14:59 AM
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I put in a big garden of sweet corn this summer and have been watching and tending it closely for the past 8 weeks now. Corn is an amazing and mysterious plant. I also think it is beautiful to behold. The feathery gold tassels appear and drop their pollen into the folds of the leaves on the stalk. ( Corn is a sexy plant too!) Then miraculously ears of baby corn appear with a topping of golden "Hair" and building the sweet juicy kernals deep in side the husks. Standing in the rows I hear the rustle of the stalks and leaves and they brim with life...God's own miracle.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sb/sb101.html |
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Nicol
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Nicol
200 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2005 : 10:06:45 AM
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I'll be right over when they're ready to eat! |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 01:18:23 AM
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| <sigh> I have tried growing corn twice in my small city lot. Both times, just as I was thinking it was time to go out and harvest, the racoons beat me to it, eating ALL of the corn and making a huge mess in the process. Is a country setting going to solve this problem? Or do I just need to plant more than they can eat? |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2005 : 11:11:46 AM
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Laura, I have battled the coons too! It seems like they just know when the corn is at its peak and then they level it! It comes down to me or them! I have a big aggresive Lab that barks if anything moves outside at night, so maybe he will alert me! Then watch out! A farmgirl on a mission will be running up to my garden at the barn, broom in hand ready to do battle! It does't seem to matter if one is in town or in the country, coons patrol for sweet corn. Oh and don't bother to plant more corn...they will just tell their buddies to come with them and eat it.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sb/sb101.html |
Edited by - MeadowLark on Jul 21 2005 11:16:25 AM |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 10:00:39 AM
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Checked my corn last night. Big, fat juicy ears are ripeining oh so fast now in this heat! Now it is a waiting game between myself and the racoons. I saw what appeared to be coon prints in the mud so they know the corn is there! Those little masked devils! They are little furry robbers!
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sb/sb101.html |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 10:17:52 AM
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Does anything scare the racooons away or are they fearless? Up here the cherry orchardists use something that sounds like gunshots that go off at intervals in their orchards, which scares the birds away and keeps them from devouring their precious crops. Don't know if there's a racoon equivilent out there or not. Just a thought.
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 10:25:17 AM
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The racoons here are pretty bold. I was sitting out on my back stoop one night and they just sort of ambled by, barely giving me a glance. I think that with any of the detererents any animal will eventually realized that it won't hurt them and ignore it. Another option is actually making it painful for them to get to your vegetables. A friend of mine told me that she put a little electric fence around her garden which seems to keep most everything out of it, including deer and racoons. I don't know how expensive it is and haven't looked into it yet. I guess the smaller your garden the more affordable it would be.
Meadowlark, you'd better get to that corn FAST! : ) |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2005 : 10:28:11 AM
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I have a large yellow Lab who thinks he's a German Shepherd, but the coons around here are fearless and look at him as a nuisance. I have even heard of coons drowning dogs if they are near a river or pond! The only deterrent I can think of is a vigilant middle aged farmgirl keeping watch by the garden the next few nights with a large broom! I am seriously considering doing just that! Parking my car by the garden and keeping vigil.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/sb/sb101.html |
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MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2005 : 09:04:42 AM
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I had the first ears of corn from my garden last night! They were fantastic! Tender and sweet...spread with melting herb butter. So much better than store bought! I thumbed by nose at the raccoons with every bite!
The flowers flee from Autumn, but not you-
You are the fearless rose that grows amidst the freezing wind. Rumi |
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Nicol
True Blue Farmgirl
200 Posts
Nicol
200 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2005 : 09:05:46 AM
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| Can I have a couple ears? Sounds delicious! |
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Garden Gate: The Miracle of Corn |
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The Miracle of Corn
