I am saving half of the corn in my garden for seed. The corn stalks and ears are brown, we've hit 32 degrees and below a time or two already, but today when I checked the ears, the kernels were still plump and not dried out. ....What do I do now???? Do I leave them in the garden until the kernels are dried? Do I bring them inside to dry out? I don't have a corn crib.... I need them for seed so now what?
Help please!
Glenda
Help please - I'm not sure what to do...
I wish that I knew more to help you. There are seed saver groups out there that you might be able to contact via the internet. First, before you do that make sure that the corn seed you planted in the first place isn't a hybrid. With hybrids you do not get offspring that are true to seed. In other words it takes two different parents to consistently make a certain variety and any offspring from a hybrid seed will be one of the two parents. Good luck with your search.
I'd bring in the ears I wanted for seed. Freezing wouldn't harm it if it's dry but freezing breaks cell walls when moisture is present. I'd be afraid it would be harmed. If the husks are brown, it's well on the way to being dry and finishing in the house won't hurt it. When you can trust that it's dried, package well so it doesn't continue to dry out excessively in the heated house over winter.
Helen VT, my corn is from open-pollinated seeds, so I'm good to go! :)
Twiggybuds, I will bring them in tomorrow. We're going to have a few mild days, but Michigan's weather - on any given day - is too undependable. I'll let them dry out in the house.
Thanks for the tips! :)
I wonder if you should hang the individual ears so that they dry uniformly. Just a thought.