Corn "stand ability"

[dlskidmore]

Dad had some bad luck with corn and didn’t try it again in my learning years, so I’m not very familiar with growing it. Sadly, our most sucessful crop in the community garden was corn stalks (used for decorations in the church’s harvest festival), so it will be one of our foccuses next year.

I’m looking at http://openpollinated.com/varieties.htm, Lancaster sure crop, for it’s 10-12′ stalks. It says a low “stand ability”. Is this just a risk of crop failure if they fall over, or is there something you can do to help? Plant a shorter variety around the main block to act as a wind break? Plant them closer together?

[Y 4 Ranch]

Standability, I believe, is in reference to harvesting time when crop is nearing dent. Combines have a harder time picking up lodged crops or crops that are laying down. That being said, I don’t believe that if you harvest this crop for decoration by hand that it would be a bother.

[Anonymous]

U might need to think about where your farm is, and how the wind effects it. Not all op corn will grow the same all over the country. There are regional favorites that, over time have proved themselves as the best for that local region. If your farm is on top a hill, and you have heavy winds during the growing season, you should be looking at a lower growing varity. I have havy winds, but they are in the early spring and late fall. But Okla is known for ts tornados. My ground is bottom land so I dont think I will have too much a problem, plus, im planting a regional variety thats been grown here by the seller for 3yrs. Tall growing corn is great if your doing silage, but better insurance is a good producing but lower variety. Good luck

[dlskidmore]

If you look at an area topo map you’d think we are on top of a hill, but we have a forest on the uphill side, and a berm on the downhill side. It’s not too bad for wind. The real wind gets channeled down the highway on the other side of the berm. We’re an hour’s drive from openpolinated.com’s headquarters, up closer to the lake here we have milder weather, we’re considered one zone warmer although we’re further north, and our hills are nothing like the southerntier hills. If it grows ok near their headquarters, we should be fine here, but if they import it from somewhere else it may be more of an issue.

History: Originated in Lancaster, PA around the turn of the century. Dale Nicklow of southern PA selects this old faithful variety for Green Haven Open Pollinated Seed Group.

I think the land is a bit flatter out there, not as familiar with it as the area halfway between. Not sure if selects means that the origional batch was selected there or if it’s annually selected there.

This is just for the church community garden. The minimum order for this seed is an awful lot. I may change my mind just based on that alone. I don’t think I could use even 1/4 pound a year, nevermind the 1 lb minimum order. Maybe if I can pick up at the store I can get a less, hubby wants an excuse to drive past that way anyway, to go to the glass museum and his favorite pizza place.

[Anonymous]

I think Shumways sell in small amounts like that

[dlskidmore]

@Farmallb 29651 wrote:

I think Shumways sell in small amounts like that

Not in that variety: http://www.rhshumway.com/dp.asp?pID=09912 they have 2 ounce packets in a couple variety packs, but not solo.

Looks like I can get it from Victory Seeds: http://www.victoryseeds.com/corn_lancaster-sure-crop.html They’re across the contry, but at least at a similar latitude.

[near horse]

“Lodging” is a problem for a lot of grain crops and it doesn’t take much wind to do it if they’re succeptible. I think some of the lodging issue with the variety your looking at is likely related to stalk height. Why so tall?

[dlskidmore]

@near horse 32361 wrote:

Why so tall?

The corn is entirely decorative. The church decorating committee uses it to build this giant tepee thing at the harvest festival. The bigger the stalks, the less work this process is. But if I stand a high risk of failure, it’s not worth it.

[Author]

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