Staking Corn
Question: Why does my corn keep flopping over?
Google’s answer:
Corn plants with floppy corn syndrome often have visible seminal roots but poorly developed or no nodal roots. When exposed to strong winds, these plants can fall over because they lack the support of nodal roots. The wind can also break off nodal roots, making it difficult for the plant to establish a permanent root system.
To diagnose floppy corn, you can dig up a plant that isn’t standing upright and gently remove the soil to examine the roots. If your corn is leaning, you can try staking it up temporarily. You can also try tamping down around the roots or watering at the base of the plant to fill in air pockets and push loose soil around the roots. Corn stalks often straighten themselves out within a week, especially if they aren’t too heavy and haven’t tasseled yet.
Another possible solution here.
I thought I had planted my corn deep enough but I will have to try planting deeper next time, water deeply, as well as pack the soil.
Furkids @IG
Consequences of Overspray
I aggressively sprayed the backyard with vinegar solution yesterday. This morning’s review of the backyard beds reveals the hideous consequences of vinegar overspraying on plant foliage. I believe that because this corner bed in particular was down at the bottom of the slope from where I began spraying, it incurred a lot of foliar damage.
Unfortunately this bed is host to new-to-my-garden plants such as Butterfly Gold buddleia, purple coneflower and salvia blepharophylla. Bronze fennel, blackfoot daisies, Nepeta Picture Purrfect, salvia reptans, Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), agastache and Mexican tarragon also bore the brunt of the damage
It seems most of the damage is concentrated on the south end of the yard. It may be that winds of 10-15mph swept towards the south side of the yard, carrying the 20% vinegar solution with it.
Most other beds including my raised grow bag garden appear spared most of the damage.