When to pick field corn?

[freemotion]

I have access to free field corn for a few weeks. As many of you know, the farmer next to me sells the stalks as fall decorations, and I get to strip the ears off and feed them to my pigs. They are in the milk stage now. I will be able to pick them until the people stop buying them for decorating. Then the rest will dry on the stalks and the farmer will harvest it to sell or to raise up a couple of beef calves for his own family next year.

Meanwhile, is there a stage that I can recognize when I can start storing it to dry for use as feed for the animals? I was thinking of hanging it from my barn rafters to dry and just taking it down as needed this winter. But when can I pick it and successfully dry it? Or is this just a naive dream on my part?

 

[BarredBuff]

After the first frost is the best.........

 

[Homemaker]

If it's anything like my garden, pick it before the squirrels eat it . We just brought all of our corn in. I can usually tell by looking at the tassels on top. When they start to dry and look withered your usually good for picking. If you pick some early you should be alright with hanging them to dry. We've had to do that the past few years,- again because of the squirrels. We hang all of our corn in bunches in a dark corner. BarredBuff is probably right about the first frost. We've never made it that far into the season with our corn still up. I'm not an expert but, this has worked for us.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks! We won't make it to the first frost, either. The vermin are already munching in my garden with my precious meal corn. The field corn that I can get in quantity will be available only for about four more weeks, and it is very possible that we won't have a frost by then. It is a dent corn, and there are no dents yet! It is probably still too early to hang it, maybe?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

thanks homemaker - we're in the same situation but i'm thinking our varmints are bigger. all my corn is getting knocked down! and then eaten. grrrr.....

hi Free!

 

[freemotion]

Hi OFG!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

You want to be able to hang it and store it dry, on the cob, right? If so, you should probably wait until the stalks are pretty dried out (and brown) not green. Although, you could try picking greener ears and see if they dry out ok (with plenty of air circulation).

 

[freemotion]

I won't have access to it at the dry stage, as it is not my field. I can pick corn as long as the farmer is selling the stalks for fall decorating in this very suburban area. Once those sales end, he will let the rest of the field dry on the stalks and will harvest the corn to either sell or use to raise beef for his own family next year. I'd like to dry some for feeding my hens or even for the pigs next spring to cut down on feed costs, as the farmer does sell a LOT of cornstalks. We missed out on a lot of corn last year and are hoping to gather every single ear and let none go to waste....however, I don't want to do a lot of work just to have it spoil, either!

 

[k15n1]

I thought field corn dents when it's ready.

 

[BarredBuff]

I think it will be fine. Even if it hasnt dented yet.