Vegetable Gardening (72 page)

Whew, that's a lot of choices! This list is actually only the tip of the iceberg, so don't be afraid to try other varieties to see which grow best in your area.

Growing guidelines

Sweet corn is a warm-weather crop, so don't rush to plant it. The soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit for the best germination.

You may notice that some companies coat their seeds with a brightly colored fungicide to prevent rotting while the seed germinates — rotting during germination is a big problem in wet, cool weather with heavy clay soil. If you're a strict organic gardener, select corn from companies that sell untreated or organic seed. You also can plant in slightly raised beds to hasten the soil in drying out and the seeds in germinating. (See Chapter 14 for more on raised beds.)

Corn is in the grass family, so, like your lawn, it needs plenty of nitrogen fertilizer to grow best. Before planting, amend the soil with composted manure, and then side-dress the patch with a 5-5-5 fertilizer when the plants are knee-high and again when
silks
(fine hairs on the ears) appear.

Corn was traditionally planted in hills following the Native American technique, but for the best production, plant corn in groups of short rows called
blocks.
Blocks consist of at least four straight rows of corn about 10 to 20 feet long. Rows should be 2 feet apart, with walkways 2 to 4 feet wide between blocks so you can easily harvest. Plant the seeds 6 inches apart in a full-sun location in 2-inch-deep furrows. After germination, thin the plants to 12 inches apart.

Each corn kernel needs to be pollinated by pollen from the
tassel
(the antennae-like flower at the top of the corn plant). If corn plants are grouped together, the wind blows the pollen down to the silks on the ears, and the pollen moves along the silks to pollinate the kernels. If you plant only one or two long rows, chances are some kernels won't get pollinated, and your ears will look like mouths that are missing a few teeth. Plant only one variety in each block to ensure that the tassels drop pollen when the silks are ready. If you mix varieties within a block, you may not get proper pollination, because the pollen may drop when the ears aren't ready. You can stagger the planting dates of your varieties by 2 weeks or plant other blocks of early-, mid, or late-season varieties to extend the harvest season.

Don't plant supersweet varieties within 250 feet of any other corn variety. If non-supersweet pollen pollinates the corn, the supersweet corn will lose its extra sweetness.

When the corn plants are about 8 inches tall,
hill
them (mounding soil up to the lower leaves) to help kill weeds and reduce the likelihood of the tall stalks blowing over when older. (You can see this technique illustrated in Chapter 6.) Keep the corn well-watered, and watch for leaf-yellowing. Yellowing leaves are a sign of nitrogen deficiency, so you should add more nitrogen fertilizer, such as fish emulsion or blood meal, to correct it.

When the husks are bright green and the silks turn brown, your ears are ready to check. Feel the ears to ensure they're filled to the tips; you can even pull back the husk at the tip to check the kernels. If you can pinch the kernels and the juice is a milky color, the ear is ready to pick. For the best flavor, right after picking, remove the leaves and the silks and steam or boil the corn in water for about 5 minutes (for the whole pot); then chomp away for a true taste of summer.

Corn is notorious for attracting certain pests. Caterpillars such as the corn earworm and corn borer can devastate a patch, and animals such as raccoons and birds love sweet corn. Check Chapter 17 for tips on thwarting insects and animals that thrive in the corn patch.

Popcorn

Popcorn is an educational and tasty vegetable to grow. Sure it's easier to go to the local store and buy popcorn seed (kernels), but with unusual varieties and the opportunity to show your kids where popcorn really comes from, I think it's worth growing. If you can grow sweet corn, you can grow popcorn. Newer varieties have unusual-colored kernels that are good in crafts as well as in your tummy. However, they all still pop into white kernels. Some varieties to try are ‘Robust 128YH', ‘Tom Thumb', and ‘Japanese Hulless'. All are 4- to 8-feet tall and need 85 to 120 days to mature.

The only difference between growing sweet corn and popcorn occurs at harvest time. Leave popcorn ears on the stalk until the stalks and husks are brown and dry. Before the first frost, harvest and strip away the husks. Hang the ears in mesh bags in a warm, airy, indoor location to continue drying for 4 to 6 weeks. Twist the kernels off the cob and store them in glass jars. You can do a sample pop to see if they're dry enough. You pop them as you would store-bought corn — but home-grown popcorn has a fresher taste. Your kids will never look at movie popcorn the same way.

A Variety of Other Great Vegetables

Whether you're interested in the tame or the exotic, the following sections give you information for growing a cornucopia of other great vegetables in your garden.

Arugula

Arugula (
Eruca vesicaria
) is also known as roquette or rocket salad. It's one of the main greens found in mesclun mixes (refer to Chapter 10 for more about mesclun). Arugula is one of the easiest, most cold-tolerant, and quickest-to-mature greens you can grow. The plant is small, with an
open habit
(it doesn't form a head-like lettuce), and its dark green leaves have a slight peppery and nutty flavor. Arugula adds an interesting zip to everyday salads and is a nice addition to soups and stir-fries.

Most gardeners buy arugula without a named variety. However, with its increased popularity, a number of named varieties are now available. ‘Astro' is an early, heat-tolerant selection. ‘Sylvetta', or wild arugula, is slower growing with smaller, more pungent leaves.

Arugula, like most greens, grows best in cool weather. When growing it, follow the guidelines for growing greens in Chapter 10. In mild-winter climates, you can plant arugula seeds in fall, winter, and spring. In cold-winter climates, start arugula in spring as soon as you can work the soil; take the summer off and then begin sowing again in fall. Arugula will overwinter in a cold frame very well — even in cold climates. (See Chapter 21 for more on cold frames.)

Seed small patches every 2 weeks, and in 30 to 40 days, you can harvest the 4- to 6-inch-long leaves. In the heat, arugula quickly
bolts
(forms a flower head with bitter leaves), but you can eat the flowers if you like a strong, peppery flavor. The only major pest to bother arugula is the flea beetle. Flip to Chapter 17 for tips on controlling this insect.

Asparagus

One of the joys of spring is picking fresh asparagus (
Asparagus officinalis
)
spears from the garden. I give you the scoop on varieties and growing guidelines in the following sections.

Unlike most of the vegetables mentioned in this book, asparagus is a perennial plant: It comes back year after year from the
crown
(the short stem near the roots) and the roots. In fact, the crown actually expands with age, producing more spears each year. After the spring harvest, let the spears grow into towering ferns that feed the roots for next year's crop.

Varieties

Asparagus has male and female plants. Female plants produce spears that eventually grow to produce flowers and seeds that not only take extra energy to produce, reducing spear production, but also sow seeds that create a jungle of little asparagus plants. Unfortunately, these young seedlings aren't productive and are mostly just weeds. Male plants don't have flowers and seeds and are therefore more productive than the female plants.

Older varieties of asparagus such as ‘Martha Washington', which has both male and female spears, were the standards for years. In the past 20 years, breeders have developed new varieties that are more productive and better adapted to tough soil conditions. Many of these varieties are in the "Jersey" series from a breeding program in New Jersey. These are touted as all-male varieties even though they may have a few female plants mixed in. These male varieties are superior for production and growth: