DIY Network

Insects, Weed Control and Harvesting Insects, Weed Control and Harvesting From "Fresh from the Garden" episode DFFG-103

So your corn is planted and seems to be thriving, but you still have some questions: What's the best way to protect it from insects? What's the easiest way to keep the rows weed-free? Most importantly, what about harvesting? Read on for the answers....

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	Once the corn earworm is inside the protective husk covering, there is no effective control. But there are things you can do to protect you corn plants. See our tips at left.
	To protect corn from earworms, you must keep them from entering the tip of the husk. You can do this by wrapping a rubber band around the tip of the ear.
	To frighten birds, set up a scarecrow dressed in light flowing clothes that can move in the wind. You can also attach strips of aluminum foil to the scarecrow to increase the reflection of sunlight and movement in the garden.

• Three things constantly threaten gardens: disease, insects and animals. Be sure to examine your plants for signs of damage and make sure you vary the times you check for infestation. Another pest you need to watch for is the corn earworm. Corn earworms are a problem in sweet corn every year. Moths deposit eggs on the developing silks or on leaves near the ear which become tiny caterpillars. The worms feed on the tip of the ear. Once the worm is inside the protective husk covering, there is no effective control. But there are things you can do to protect you corn plants.

• To protect the corn from earworms, you need to keep them from entering the tip of the husk. You can do this by wrapping a rubber band around the tip of the ear or you can attach a clothespin to the tip after the silk appears. Anything that restricts the worm from entering the tip of the husk will help decrease the damage. Another deterrent is to insert half a medicine dropper full of mineral oil to the dried corn silks. This will keep the worms from gripping the plants.

• You can spray corn plants with Bacilulus thuringiensis called BT. This insecticide contains bacteria that effect only the larvae of the corn borer. Your local garden center can provide you with all the information on approved insecticides.

• As the corn continues to grow birds will pose the greatest threat to a corn crop. The best way to scare off birds is with a scarecrow. To frighten the birds, set up a scarecrow dressed in light flowing clothes that can move in the wind. You can also attach strips of aluminum foil to the scarecrow to increase the reflection of sunlight and movement in the garden. You can even use colored balloons or beach ball painted with large eyes to frighten the birds. Just be sure to change the scarecrow's location every few days so the birds don't get used to it being in one place.

• To control any weeds that pop up in the patch, you should hoe between the rows. Just be careful not to hoe deeply or you may damage the stalks or the roots. You can also spread mulch around the base to control the weeds and to help conserve moisture.

• Any lack of water at critical growing periods can seriously reduce quality and the yield. If there is not enough rainfall, be sure to irrigate thoroughly when the tassels appear. You should moisten the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Light sprinklings will encourage shallow rooting of the plants.

• During the growing stages, you also want to side dress the plants with fertilizer. For extra nitrogen, you can feed the corn plants with diluted fish emulsion or a fish-and-seaweed blend when the stalks are about knee-high. Now here's a little-known tip: shaking the stalks while they are in tassel produces fuller ears of corn.

• Sweet corn should be ready for harvest about 80 to 95 days after planting depending on the variety. Each cornstalk should produce at least one large ear. Under good growing conditions many varieties will produce a smaller second ear. Your first ears of corn are ready to pick 20 to 24 days after the silks have grown about 1 to 2 inches longer than the tip of the ear. Harvest sweet corn when the ears are full and blunt at the tip. The husks should be tightly folded and green. When the tassels die and the cob stands out from the stem at about 30 degrees, it's harvest time!

• To test your ears, you use your thumb nail to poke an end kernel. It should squirt forth milky white sap. If the liquid is clear and watery, the corn still needs a few more days on the stalk.

• If you find smut, a swollen black pustule in the ear, break off the infected part of the ear. The remainder of the cob is suitable for eating. Be sure to place the galls in the garbage or burn them to keep the galls from spreading. Do not discard near the garden. Though it's not poisonous, but it can be unpleasant to handle.

• To harvest an ear, grasp it firmly, bend it down and pull toward the ground with a twisting motion. Try to break the ear shank without breaking the main stalk or tearing the entire shank from the stalk.

• To maintain the sweetness and freshness of the corn, cobs should be immersed in ice cold water as soon as possible after picking, and left in the water until eaten. The ears should be eaten, processed or refrigerated as soon as possible.

• The best time to pick corn is just before eating. But if you have to store it, get it into the refrigerator, unhusked and wrapped in damp towels as soon as possible. Try to use the corn within 1 to 2 days and do not husk until just prior to cooking.

• The best way to shuck corn is to pull the husks down the ear and snap off the stem at the base. Under cold running water, rub the ear in a circular motion to remove the silk or use a stiff vegetable brush. Discarded husks can be shredded, then composted and placed back into garden soil.

• Freezing is the best method for preserving the quality of sweet corn. It can be stored in cool conditions for about 5 days, but remember: the best corn is simply the freshest corn!
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Preparing the Soil and Seeds
  	Row Spacing, Protection and Watering
  	Insects, Weed Control and Harvesting
  	The Right Gloves