When do I pick my corn?

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April_Blossom Sutherlin, OR Aug 30, 2010

How do you decide when to pick your corn? I thought corn was ready to pick when the silk turns brown, but my ears don't look big enough to really be ready. Should I wait, or peel back a sample ear?

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Quyen Orange, CA(Zone 10b) Aug 30, 2010

This is my second season growing corn and the ears never get as big as the ones in the market. The best way to see if they're ready is to peel back and have a peek.

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HelenVT Charlotte, VT Sep 01, 2010

The corn silks go from light green to tan and get darker and darker. I'm not perfect, but when the silks are dark brown and kind of matted together I feel the ear from bottom up to check to see if the ear is plump all the way up. Peeking helps, but if you have a lot of corn and you get used to the feel and look of ripe corn you'll become a natural. When you peek don't pull the shucks all the way down because the shucks will never heal back and little bugs can get in there and the part of the corn that's been peeled back will never ripen. Just peel a little bit. Like Quyen said you just need a peek.

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Ceco_Gakovic San Francisco, CA Sep 18, 2010

If your corn is ready but small, it could be that the soil is poor. I usually add compost every year and have nice corn. My only problem is that the birds think so too, they love it :)

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1lisac Liberty Hill, TX(Zone 8a) Sep 18, 2010

I stick my fingernail in a kernel. Its ripe if the liqued that comes out is cloudy looking. The kernels should be firm.

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HelenVT Charlotte, VT Sep 19, 2010

I have a problem with crows this year too. First the raccoons came and took select bites here and there to find a good ear. For some unknown reason the coons left and the crows discovered the partially exposed ears. After a while they became expert shuckers of untouched ears. I got out some floating row cover so a could save a few ears for myself. I wish crows weren't so smart

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