The few stalks of dry corn “painted mountaint” that sprouted, and didn’t get eaten by birds came into the barn today to dry out. The colors range from saturated, intense purples and reds, to soft, hazy shades of blue and pink. Because the stand of corn was so limited, pollination was insufficient and the kernels did not fill out fully. In a consumer environment that dictates conformity, I got a good laugh from a troubleshooting article from Ohio State University on diagnosing corn malformations.

Dry Corn “Painted Mountain”

We collected the sometimes nubby, sometimes skinny second ear of the Double Standard variety. Where’s the Tim Stark of heirloom corn I wonder? Who will make a market for these oddball corn and elevate it to celebrity chef status? As the plants are mowed down, we can see the Silver Queen variety about to be ready. Next week will be all about corn.

Second Ear of Double Standard Heirloom

Finally had a chance to stop by the weedy mess of calendulas and harvest some for drying. The plant is high in resins and is sticky to the touch. Once dry, this batch will make its way into a skin salve.

Calendula

Easter Egg radishes are ready after 4 weeks. This time I used a seeder so the radishes have more space to grow properly. We harvested about a fifth of the row which translated to 20 pounds of trimmed radishes. Radishes get pithy and too spicy as they age, so much more will come up next week or else I am looking at radish seed pods instead. As I stare down the 250-feet row, I wonder was I thinking at akk when planting this.

Radish “Easter Egg”

Round two of green beans are forming.

Green Beans, Round II

The blue hubbard squash planted at the border of the winter squash patch was meant as a pest trap crop, to draw squash bugs toward it and away from “main” squashes such as pumpkins. So far, they are doing great, probably better than the main crops. Go figure.

Blue Hubbard, Not A Trap Crop