Corn in the backyard, 2016 -- week 1

May 1

The ground had warmed enough by the middle of April this year that many of the farmers in our area took advantage of the dry weather and planted their corn.  Farmer Wagenbach was included in that wave, and I not only witnessed his planting in the field behind our house, but I had a chance to chat with him a bit and ride along in the tractor on April 19 (more details on that in a future post).

I first noticed the plants emerging on April 29, so our first Sunday corn photo of the year was taken two days later. The plants were easier to see with the naked eye than they appear in the top photo, and the bottom photo illustrates why: they're only an inch tall so far!

After the seed went into the ground, we received a little less than twice as many growing degree days compared to an average year, so even though it has been cool since the plants have emerged, they had a warm bed in which to germinate. We'll try to keep a close eye on the crop again this year, and I''m sure we'll be amazed again at the wonder of plant growth.