Anybody here have a background in growing corn? Tell me about it

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

So, I’m a total suburban kid from Massachusetts, and know virtually nothing, so enlighten me, please.

What I know: there are at least two types of corn. Sweet corn (the stuff we buy by the ear and eat off the cob) and Field corn – which is apparently everything else? Tons and tons of which is used as animal feed. And maybe that’s what we eat, when we eat corn meal or corn flour or, heck, corn flakes?

Where does popcorn come into it?

Actually, the main thing I was wondering is does a corn stalk have just a single ear of corn on it? And just one time? Or do new ones develop after you harvest the first, like tomatoes do? Otherwise it seems like a huge waste of effort, growing that big stalk and all the leaves and all, and all you get out of it is a single ear of corn?

Or does all the rest of the plant have some other commercial value? Like, you grind it all up and it becomes something else we use? Like insulation or mulch or something? Or, I know some whisky is made from corn – is that from the corn kernels, too, or a different part?

See, I told you I’m ignorant.

(Yes, I know I could look this up myself, but my experience is seemingly stupid threads like this can draw out all sorts of weird stories and strange but interesting offshoots.)

Oh, yeah, I vaguely remember that in The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Manny and the Professor sneak down to Earth in what’s supposed to be a shipment of moon-grown corn, and the corn apparently starts to pop due to the vacuum, I think. Is that remotely something that could happen?

2

Not a farmer, but I used to work with corn/soybean farmers on one of my old clients.

There are six major types of corn, apparently (from the Wikipedia entry on popcorn):

Typically one or two “good” ears per stalk, depending on variety. And, no, one can’t get multiple “harvests” out of a single stalk, AIUI. When farmers harvest corn (other than sweet corn which is being sold “on the cob”), they use a big piece of farm equipment called a “combine,” which cuts down the stalk, strips the ears from the stalk, and then strips the kernels from the cobs.

Somewhat. Cobs can be fed to some domesticated/farm animals, such as pigs. The stalks can be used for improving soil, but it apparently takes some work, as they don’t decompose easily.

Kernels, typically mashed prior to producing the whiskey.

3

Sweet corn, the kind that we enjoy fresh off the cob in the summer, is sometimes considered a low-value crop when compared to other vegetables. This is because it takes up valuable room – a lot of room – in a garden and only produces one ear per plant. Sweet corn can take up to 3 square feet of space. If you harvest a cucumber from the garden, more will grow and you can get multiple harvests. But if you pick an ear of corn, the plant is done producing. Sweet corn may produce two or sometimes three ears per plant because there is wider spacing and less competition. Early maturing sweet corn varieties may still only have one ear. Later maturing sweet corn varieties might have multiple ears.

Now, let me tell you about wet-milling and ‘vegetable’ (corn) oil…

Stranger

4

The most important thing to know about corn is that it is wind pollenated mostly. If you have a little room for a couple rows of corn, you are not getting corn. You may get some ears but they will not be full of kernals, because they were not fully pollinated. Whatever room you have for a block of corn, as many rows wide as long, then you can get corn. A block or crowd of corn. Do not waste your time on a few long thin rows.

5

The entire corn plant (including the kernel) can be ground up, fermented and turned into silage, which can be used as a high-quality animal feed. Unfortunately, too much fermentation leads to spoilage, so not much silage is produced.

Corn residue can also be used to produce cellulosic ethanol, but it’s a long and expensive process compared to regular ethanol production, and has not yet proven economically viable on a large scale.

Right now the best use for all those leftover corn plants is to leave them in the field over the winter where they protects the farmland from erosion and provide a winter food source for wildlife.

6

What is the difference between corn harvested when the stalks are green, and corn that is allowed to dry out before harvesting?

7

My understanding is that most corn which is harvested for sale of the kernels (other than sweet corn), is left to dry in the field prior to harvesting, in order to decrease the moisture content in the kernels. When farmers sell and deliver their corn harvest to the local grain elevator, an analysis is done of the moisture content; if the moisture content is above a certain level, it decreases the amount which the farmer is paid for the corn. In addition, corn which is harvested when it’s still wet will be more likely to spoil.

For this reason, some farmers have “corn dryers,” but those are expensive to operate, so they will preferentially wait for it to dry out in the field before harvest.

8

Obviously you want the corn to be fully mature before you harvest it, but once you hit that point, it’s all about risk vs. benefits. If you harvest too soon, the corn will have a high moisture content and you’d ll have to run your entire harvest through grain dryers to get the kernels down to the commercial standard (15.5% moisture.) If you let the crop “dry down” in the field, you’ll save on drying costs, but the longer you wait, the greater the chance of running into bad weather; plus the stalks will become increasingly brittle and may shatter during harvest or even fall down on their own. Mechanical harvesters aren’t equipped to scoop the ear off the ground.

9

Yep.

We live in rural Ohio, and every day I drive on roads that are surrounded by cornfields.

Farmers will periodically go out to their fields, pull a few ears of corn, and measure the moisture content. If it is below a certain value, they can harvest it and sell it with no surcharge. If it is above a certain value, then there are options: 1) Sell it with a surcharge, 2) Dry it using dryers, then sell it, 3) Wait until it dries.

It particularly wet years, I’ve seen farmers pulling their corn in December.

10

Field corn and sweet corn are two completely different things.

Field corn is a commodity, and used for a variety of purposes, e.g. fuel additive, feed for livestock, etc. I’m guessing corn-on-the-cob from field corn would not be tasty. Sweet corn is what’s sold at stores and farmer’s markets.

11

Growing corn of more than one type in a garden can cause problems, unlike mixing other garden crops. If you plant jalapenos beside bell peppers, you’ll get jalapenos and bell peppers. Plant cherry tomato plants next to Romas and you’ll get cherry and Roma tomatoes. Plant popcorn next to sweet corn and you will get some in-between ears.

The reason is that in the fruit crops such as tomatoes and peppers, cross-fertilization will only affect the seeds. The part of the fruit we eat has only the parent plant’s DNA in it and we don’t notice any change in the seeds. In corn the part we eat is the seeds, so if there is any hybridization there, it can show up. Therefore if you’re growing corn in a small garden it’s best to stick to one variety.

12

How is sweet corn harvested?

13

Very often by hand.

14

Growing up we grew lots of sweet corn in the garden. There are several varieties, and I loved the ones we grew. We had corn on the cob with our grilled salmon tonight. Field corn grows a lot taller, and is harvested in mid fall where I come from. Someone mentioned combines; when I was in fourth grade my dad got his arm caught in one. The rollers had stopped due to too much corn going in at once, and he reached in to pull some out without turning it off. He didn’t lose his arm, and fortunately regained most of the use of his hand.

15

Another thing worth mentioning is that, if you’re growing corn in your garden, the corn will cast a shadow. Try to lay out your garden so the shadow isn’t over the other stuff in close proximity.