Taking a Gamble : Planting Early Corn

In years past I have grown a small patch of corn.  I grow a variety called Pungo Creek Butcher which is a type of dent corn that grows about eleven feet tall and makes these beautiful rainbow colored ears of corn.  Why don't I grow sweet corn?  Because I don't eat much of it and I'd rather make cornbread from my home ground corn meal.  I also want to use it to supplement my chicken feed.

This year I am using the x-tra long, narrow beds to try a little growing experiment.  In the bed closest to the road I planted a variety of sunflowers and amaranth.  I am hoping to use the seeds grown in this bed to supplement my chicken feed as well.

The second bed contains blocks of corn alternating with blocks of pole beans.  I planted this row with just corn for now so it can get a head start on the pole beans which I will plant in a couple weeks, when the corn is about six inches tall.  I planted this corn in late April, which is fairly early for this area.  So far I have been lucky and the seeds didn't start germinating until after the last frost which was just a few days ago.  I am hoping the weather cooperates and doesn't get too cold at night from here on out.  So far the forcast seems to be in my favor.

The last bed will also contain blocks of corn, but these will alternate with squash plants instead of beans.  I guess you could say that I am trying a modified three sister's approach.  I hope it turns out as nice as I envision it.  By the end of the season I am hoping to have a wall of sunflowers and tall corn blocking the view of the road.