Planting in New Mexico - March 29

From Blonde & Bart Wino


You go kids ..... A classic example of a "hill of corn"

Bingo ! Kernel Heads .....

I crossed paths with "Pepper Sauce Rod " today. This is the first hard proof of good karma boys and girls. The price of admission, as it were. Rod is like an undiscovered temple of pepper seeds, like a one man DeKalb seed bank. Most of them HOT <> HOT <> HOT !

So, I'm about to get my hands on a bunch of them , It costs me a buck to send this stuff First Class. Mail me a dollar and I'll pass along some fun pepper seeds.

It's Here!

Anticipation, It's making me wait

The 1st Day of Spring

The Blue Corn is here folks. I'll get it packaged up, and on it's way Monday. So far I've gotten 3 other " kernel heads ", to join me. Today is the beginning of spring.

WHAT THIS IS

Last night March 9, 2009 I offered to buy Hopi Blue Corn seeds for anyone who would plant them , regardless of their location. My email is posted on the right, just under the corn grinders.
Drop me an email, with your screen name , and mailing address, and I'll send you a package of:

Zea mays Tender Annual Hop Blue Dent is an ancient flint corn, a traditional staple of the Hopi Indians of Northern Arizona. The 5' bushy plants have 8"—10" ears each. The ears have smooth blue kernels which dry to royal blue which can be eaten fresh, dried for cornmeal, or used for decorative purposes.

Soil & Water: Corn is a heavy feeder requiring high amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK). Its weak and shallow root system likes loose soil with a high compost content.

Planting & Growing: Sow seeds directly outdoors 1 week after the last frost. You can start earlier by using black or green plastic mulches and floating row covers to obtain optimum conditions. Plant in blocks rather than rows to ensure good germination. To prevent cross-pollination, plant different varieties at least 40' apart and grow a hedge barrier, such as sunflowers, in between.

Harvesting & Storage: For sweet corn, harvest when part of the silk is brown. For dry corn, harvest when husks are completely dry. To finish the drying process, husk the ears and spread them in a dry, well-ventilated area. Store kernels on the cob, or shuck and store kernels.

Sun/Shade: Full sun, Planting Depth: 1", Spacing After Thinning: 8", Soil Temperature: 70—85°F, Days To Germinate: 4—12, Days To Maturity: 90, Height At Maturity: 5'

There's a catch to this deal, you have to up date all of us here, on just how things are going in your little corner of the garden.