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You can stil buy non gmo corn and other non hybrid seeds for planting. There are various groups that cultivate and share/sell these seeds and plants. Mostly heirlooms and open pollinated varieties.
I used to buy from "Seed Savers" which I have had good experience with.
Lucky for me I now have my own stockpile of seeds from previous years of gardens.
I seriously suggest everybody start their own seed saving projects.
Enjoy
riverwolf
riverwolf
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I agree Riverwolf. Thanks for all the info everyone!
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You can UH corn seeds developed conventionally over decades of research directly from UH OR AT Garden Exchange. I've had luck with both the yellow and white varieties. They need to be densely planted to get properly wind pollinated. My home grown corn here is the best I've ever had.
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This corn is growing like crazy. I already have an ear forming. This really strikes me as funny, that I've had all kinds of other stuff die off, but my midwestern corn is growing great! Anyhow, I'll let you all know if the ants, slugs, or other bugs eat my corn before I do. (my usual experience)
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With only 5 stalks you won't get many kernels on your ears unless you hand pollinate. Corn is a wind pollinated crop,thus the reason for close dense planting so that the pollen is assured to fall onto the ear silks. But you can take bits of the mature top tassel and shake and rub it all over the ear silk in order to transfer the pollen. I use a paintbrush, which works well,
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Thanks for the advice. But where is the pollen? I have never seen a flower on a corn stalk. Is it at the top? Why wouldn't it just fall down onto the ears and pollinate it that way? Thanks
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Corn is a grass & the male "flower" is the tassel at the top that looks like mini grains & has the pollen. The female "flower" is the mini ear, with the thread-like "silks" attached to each grain of corn (seed), To hand pollinate, brush pollen from the tassel onto the silks around the ear, trying to cover all of the silks...
The pollen doesn't fall because it is more of a grass, & most grasses are planted thick & close, it would not be normal in nature or on a farm to only have a handful of corn growing...
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Just went out and pollinated. We'll see what happens. thanks
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JUst wanted to update. Corn plants shriveled up, and I did not get any developed ears of corn to eat. Sigh... Hawaii...
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I found what I thought was a corn plant growing at a rear corner of my house.
After a few weeks it sent out a tassel that didn't look like any corn plant's I'd ever seen.
A little i-net searching proved it to be a sorghum plant.
The previous owner had a bird feeder hung over that spot.
I had never seen sorghum before.
I ended up pulling it out.
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Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
