Growing Grain and Flour Corn (Planting to Harvest)

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In this series we're going to show y'all how we eat from our gardens and the woods. From planting seeds to harvesting to cooking, we'll take you along for the whole journey. This week we're growing, harvesting and cooking grain corn!

[rubygray]

I love to watch you two growing, harvesting and preparing these magnificent crops. The whole world is so enriched by the wide range of bountiful-yielding foods that originated in the Americas. Feeding oneself with nutrient dense staples is so much harder without corn, potatoes, beans and squash. And so much less flavoursome without tomatoes, tomatillos and chillies!

I'm growing Glass Gem corn for the first time this year in Tasmania, where anything but supersweet fresh corn is a novelty. My summer frosts make this a dicey project. I'm stunned that many seeds sprouted up to 5 shoots! The smaller shoots yield small anomalous looking tiny cobs. But the main stems, 8 feet tall, have up to 5 cobs. The silks are beginning to turn brown, but the sheaths are still green, so I don't dare harvest one yet. I'm hoping they will continue growing and ripening even though the days are getting shorter fast, and some of the outer leaves are frost singed.

I planted my seedlings too close together, though they seemed very sparse and lonely at first. Grew purple king beans up them, a good choice as I'd never have found green beans among the abundant corn leaves.
Just two pepita squash rambling amongst them have produced several fruit each, only about rockmelon size, but again I'm hopeful that they ripen soon. I'm getting very hungry thinking about all this potential food!

[davechristensen]

I am the guy who developed Painted Mountain Corn. I'm happy to see that you grew some. It won a major tortilla making contest, and tied for first place for flavor!

You grow some large slow-maturing dent corn. You must live in climate with a longer season than I have in N. Montana.

[SarahLovesFood]

We love homemade corn tortillas! We've been eating carnitas and birria tacos all week. I use store-bought dried masa, but maybe someday we'll try to grow our own grain corn.

[bushpushersdaughter]

You can't know how much I enjoy your videos. The visuals (beautiful) with the music (so soothing) brings peace and inspiration to my soul.
I think you've "made it"!

[jep]

This is what corn should be. Not the crap we get from the store. My goal is to obtain land so i can grow food like this every year! ❤❤❤ Maybe i can buy some seeds of y'all 😂

[clairekircher]

I really appreciate you guys, this is my first year really trying to grow food in Southern PA, I have a plot prepared for some corn but I haven't known where to start. You guys are providing an invaluable resource!! THANK YOU!!!

[suzimasterson]

We are starting the as self sufficient as possible life now. No electric. No running water (we have a well). Nearly 1 acre of growing land. We started planting last week. I'm so excited to start this properly this winter when we have the benefits of our labour

[beth]

You guys inspired me to order mushroom spawn! I'll be setting up 2 different types tomorrow. I'm also planning some 3 sisters mounds for the growing season.

[davechristensen]

This is a very pleasurable and enjoyable video, while it teaches you how to feed yourself! I'm glad you emphasize grain, because grain is mankind's main food staple. Well done!

[tereclemmer]

I enjoy your videos so much. Those tacos 🌮, those tacos 🌮. 😋

[saraherber]

What beautiful ears you have! So interesting to know about cooking that corn first before grinding it makes for better nutrition. I remember putting ears in a Dutch oven on the woodstove for a time to dry them out. It made for easier shelling. I look forward to seeing your garden as it comes along. I pulled some breakfast radishes from the cold frame today and I thought of you two. What a fine team you make.

[GrowCookPreserveWithKellyDawn]

I know that song now! Thanks for another enlightening video, guys. I'm planning to grow some dent corn this year and I appreciate the inspiration. I have gardened longer than you two have been alive, so that's saying a lot!

[hannekevanlinge]

I don't know if you've covered it in another video, but the cornsilk is useful byproduct too, supporting the urinary tract, fighting inflammation, stabilising cholesterol - it's super easy to dry, store, and take as a tisane :-) Love your work!

[ilzitek]

I love your channel. You both are so down to earth. Your content grounds me. ❤

[hannahbingham]

I noticed you planted corn starts and not direct sown. Have you found you get better results from starting corn seeds and then transplanting? I’ve always heard that corn is usually direct sown. Thanks so much for the video and information!

[soniat]

Amazing, so brave and hard working ❤love u guys😊regards from Slovakia 😊😊

[Madamoizillion]

A method I'd recommend for growing corn in blocks on a smaller scale is this, where you plant corn in 2-3 rows together and leave paths between the rows:

🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽
🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽
🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫
🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽
🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽 🌽
🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫🟫
Etc...

It's more efficient on space, and allows the corn more opportunity to pollinate each other while leaving space for squash vines and you to walk through. In my experience, grain corn can be planted more tightly than you've shown here and still grow well. If you offset the individual seed plantings of corn (So, diagonally instead of a grid) then that's an extra space bonus. Like this:
. . . .
. . .

Since I haven't seen you talk about this in any of your other videos, I'm curious what methods you take to prevent cross pollination. Corn is very easy to cross pollinate since it is wind pollinated, but cross pollinating amongst different varieties of corn means you're genetically contaminating seeds that you're saving, either with different varieties of field corn or with sweet corn, which yields a completely unusable ear that's neither fresh and sweet nor dry and storable.

[chloepritzl]

I just love your guys videos, brings me so much joy. And so relaxing in my hectic life. Q: how long do you soak the corn in pickling lime? Is there a specific ratio to follow as well? 😊

[ImmortalLemon]

You know something I learned recently that still boggles my mind. Corn is botanically speaking, a fruit. I learned this like 3 months ago and it still bugs me

[Cursedzeba]

Tried growing corn last year and while it did grow well it was planter out way too late. Planting it sooner this year and will also do the three sisters method too. Got a lot of work and hopefully this weekend we cam get the soil prepped and seeds planted soon as possible