Just a note on the second bed of sweet corn that gave me such a hassle. Due to invisible pesties eating the first and second planting of seeds entirely, this bed was two weeks later than I intended. As a result, it is growing in cooler temperatures, and the ears, while sweet and tender, and quite thoroughly pollinated, are.... petite. The first couple of early ears that we picked last week were full sized but we are now picking smaller ears.
Not a bad outcome over all. The first bed was outstanding. We got a full four dozen from three 11 foot rows and almost all of the ears were large and perfect. There were half a dozen late runts towards the end which I culled out as I husked and those did not get tallied into the four dozen. That means the ears cost about fifty cents a piece which is what they are charging at the nearest farm stand. (figuring in cost of seed and fertilizer but certainly not time watering daily from the rain tank)
My husband is always interested in the economics of gardening, so I will occasionally work out the direct costs on a particular bed. Sweet Corn is not a cost savings per se, but you can get over $20 of cucumbers from a single 5¢ seed. I did happen to count the number of cukes picked off of the one Burpee Salad Bush plant. Twenty two full sized fruit from a single vine. And of course if you are saving tomato seeds, you are spending some money on seed starting mix and electricity to start your plants. You can get a whole batch of peppers from a four pack of plants that might cost you $5. Some things you can save money on but its really more about the satisfaction of growing it, knowing what went into it, and enjoying having something picked at the peak of freshness.
😂 soooo true!
ReplyDelete—Melanie