Sweet corn: of tassels and silk

The purpose of this blog is to assist organic gardening beginners by sharing the knowledge and the love of gardening. Along those lines, much of the information in this post may not be new for those with experience growing sweet corn. I have gardened for only a few years, mostly in small urban backyard plots. This is the first time I've attempted to grow sweet corn. Granted the yields will be relatively small given the space required but so far the experience has been fascinating.


The male flowers, the "tassels", have started showing and the resultant dusting of pollen is attracting quite a few insects. The male flowers are said to be staminate meaning lacking pistils. Female flowers are referred to as pistillate.


The female flowers have formed the silk which started showing up just a day or two after the tassels. According to conventional wisdom it can be difficult to pollinate corn so backyard gardeners should plant in blocks, not rows. The pollen is generally spread by wind and planting in single rows is a very inefficient for corn pollination. There are many ways to prepare sweet corn but the ears do not keep well and should preferably be eaten the same day as when picked.


To keep things organic, the only food given to the corn plants has been fish emulsion diluted with rain water about every ten to twelve days along with a small amount of kelp (also diluted with water). The organic fertilizers are available at the local organic gardening store. I tend to avoid the "big box" stores for stuff like this.

The corn is located is full sun and the weather here in temperature zone six has been very damp with rainy days outnumbering dry ones. I plan to plant corn again next year using the "Three Sisters" method.

Zucchini and summer squash basics

Zucchini is a type of summer squash. The zucchini in my garden is a green variety that starts with large yellow flowers. Some knowledge of these flowers might help to make you a better summer squash gardener. The male and female flowers are easily distinguishable. The female flower is attached to the fruit whereas the more common male flowers originate from the base or stems of the plant.



On this picture I have labeled a female and a male zucchini flower. Is this important? Normally, not much really. If, however, you are cooking the highly edible flowers or have other pollination concerns you might want to know the difference. For example you would not want to remove all of the female flowers if you expect for the plant to produce zucchini later. On the other hand the male flowers are usually redundant (no male jokes, please) and can be picked and cooked without much concern.

The fruit is best picked early while it is small and still fresh. Zucchini is normally cooked before eaten and not taken raw. The plant can be attractive to squash beetles and the dreaded cucumber beetle. Inspect them often and hand pick any pests or use a light, floating row cover or mesh.

How to grow "The Three Sisters"

You have probably heard of the gardening method called the "three sisters". The indigenous peoples of North America used this planting method successfully for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years.



The three sisters consists of maize, pole beans, and squash. Pumpkin can be substituted for the squash, sweet corn for the maize, but the idea is the same. The corn stalks gives the beans support. The beans fix nitrogen back into the soil that benefits the nutrient hungry corn and squash. Last but not least, the squash provides shade which keeps the soil moist and deters weeds. The combination is in balance with nature as all three compliment each other.


The three plants are started in a small hill, about two feet in circumference, with the corn being planted first. Once the corn has emerged the beans can be planted in several areas near the corn stalk. Once the beans begin growing the squash seeds are planted at the edges of the hill, moving out away from the corn and beans. In the fall the plants can be chopped down in place and allowed to add valuable organic matter to the existing hills.

The triumvirate of maize, pole beans, and squash also, most importantly, provides most of the nutrients that us humans need. Instead of planting these crops individually, mark your calendar for next year to grow them together and enjoy the benefits of vegetables that support each other.