Question:
I planted a late-season corn crop that has done surprisingly well. The silk and tassels have developed, but I’m wondering when it’s best to harvest the corn.Answer:
- Corn is an easy crop to grow, but determining the optimal time to harvest the ears isn’t an exact science.
- Corn typically starts showing tassels about 50–70 days after planting, depending on the variety. Tassels usually appear 2–3 days before the ear silks. Once the silks appear and are pollinated, sweet corn is ready to harvest about 17–24 days later.
- Wind is the primary pollinator. However, many gardeners plant their corn too far apart, which hinders proper pollination. As the corn matures, the silk tassels at the end of the husks turn brown, dry, and brittle, while the husks remain green.
- To determine ripeness, pull back the husk and squeeze a kernel. Find a full-sized kernel approximately 3 to 4 rows down from the top of the ear.
- Use your fingernail to puncture it. If the liquid inside is clear and watery, the corn isn’t ready yet.
- However, if it spurts a milky juice, it’s at its peak ripeness. If you notice incomplete corn ears or missing kernels, it suggests a pollination issue.
- Each kernel is connected to a silk, and pollination is crucial for a fully developed ear. Corn ears don’t ripen simultaneously. Most sweet corn varieties produce one to two ears per plant, with the topmost ear maturing first.
- To harvest, hold the stalk in your non-dominant hand to steady it. Grasp the cob with your dominant hand and pull it downward with a twisting motion of the wrist to snap the cob off the stalk.
- You can also use shears to cut the corn cleanly about six inches below the ear. After harvesting, kernels quickly lose their sweetness as enzymes convert sugars into starches, turning the taste from sweet to bland.
- If you don't refrigerate it properly, most sweet corn loses 50% of its flavor within 12 to 18 hours after harvesting. So, harvest it in the early morning or just as the water is coming to a boil.
Question:
I planted two tomato plants, and both flourished at first. However, by the last week of July, one plant began to die while the other kept thriving. Both plants receive full sun and are watered every other day using a drip irrigation system. I’m curious to know what could be causing this issue, as I’ve encountered a similar problem in the past.Answer:
- Tomatoes don’t need watering every other day, especially during mild summer weather like this year. However, one tomato is thriving while the other is suffering: ‘Go Figure’.
- So, I’d take the one that’s suffering from the drip system and water it manually. I’d also reduce the watering frequency. However, don’t expect much from it going forward.
- Next year, I’ll adjust your watering frequency early on: water less often in mild weather and more often in hot weather.
- Tomatoes are fickle. When they struggle for any one of many reasons, the plants never recover and perform as expected.