[Esther]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

Suckers or tillers are new growth at the bottom of the plant. We don't bother to remove them any more and it doesn't seem to have done any harm. Our non-Gmo heirloom sweet corn is as sweet as any GMO corn and can be eaten right off the stalk raw.

We don't use petroleum based nitrogen fertilizers. We grow in very nutrient dense soil amended by lots of compost and manure. Corn is a very heavy feeder and needs great soil. We use manure tea to fertilize during growth. We don't spray and use Cotton Patch Geese for weeding and pick off ear worms by hand.

While not certified organic we follow organic methods. Do some studying about GMOs and seriously consider planting a good heirloom variety for the home garden and maybe even try doing some of your own seed saving year to year as good heirlooms are getting harder to find.

The paper bag thing... I put little paper bags (the kind that hold a single soda) over the ears just as the silks are emerging... Once they are ready to be fertilized I use our own tassels and hand fertilize to be sure our corn does not cross pollinate with any GMO corn via wind or insects and to ensure good kernel development. It may be a total waste of time but I still do it... but I also now save the time I used to pull the suckers since I didn't see any difference in the corn produced in quality or quantity by that process.

Good luck with your corn patch!

I agree with you on saving seeds, I buy heirlooms and save.

I have quite a few okra and purple hull.

Do you know how long seeds will last?