Corn and popcorn are warm weather crops. The seeds will germinate more consistently if the soil temperature stays above 65ºF. To get a jump on the season, Larry plants his corn and popcorn inside in flats on May 1st. By the end of the month they are ready to plant outside. To get a staggered corn harvest, at the end of May, he will also directly seed into the garden another 32 seeds of corn. In another 3 weeks he will direct seed again. Since he uses an early maturing variety, Ambrosia, he can get three harvests over a two month period.
               
Plant corn in a good rich soil. They should be planted in rows at least 4 ft wide and 4 ft long for good pollination. Harvest sweet corn when the silk turns brown and you can feel well formed kernels under the husks.

Popcorn is another story. This is a long season crop. It needs all the summer it can get. Since Larry starts all his popcorn inside, he plants only once. The seedlings are moved out into the garden at the end of May. Remember to leave popcorn on the stalk until the outer husks have turned brown. This is usually the second or third week in September. Bring inside, husks and all and dry for another two to three weeks. Then remove the dried kernels from the cob, store in airtight jars and enjoy through the winter.

Summer and Winter Squash

Squash likes rich, well composted soil. Also most squash do best if direct seeded in the garden when the soil is warm. This date is usually around the end of May or the first week in June for northern Colorado Springs. It is a week or two earlier for the southern part of our city.

Do not plant in mounds! Any benefit you get from warming is negated by the difficultly in keeping the mound moist (after a short time the mound will wear down and water will run off). Plant in a slight depression (1-2 inches is all you need). By the first of July you can apply about 3-4 inches of mulch around the base of your plants.

Squash plants are heavy feeders. Fertilize monthly with a diluted fish emulsion and every two weeks toss about three to four hand fulls of compost around the base of your plants. Harvest your summer squash when it is young and tender. Zucchini that is 5 to 6 inches long is just the right size. Just like cucumbers, if you let just one zucchini get too big it may slow down your harvest for the rest of the season.

The winter squash varieties such as: acorn, butternut, buttercup, spaghetti "usually" grow on long vines. They need plenty of room. Don't crowd them!. Read the seed package for proper spacing. Harvest in late summer and leave the stems on for longer storage. Store in a cool basement for late fall eating.

               

 

Left to Right: Green Zucchini, Magda Summer Squash, and Acorn Winter Squash

 

Beans

Beans are a warm weather crop just like tomatoes. It should be planted in rich soil that has been well amended as discussed in our soils tips site. Beans can be either bush or pole type. If you like to can or freeze your beans try planting bush varieties because they produce a large crop within a short time period. Pole beans will need a trellis at least six feet tall to support them while they grow. Keep your beans picked. This might mean checking and picking daily once they start to ripen. 

        

Left to Right: Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Kwintus Pole Beans (Larry's favorite!)

                       

Colorado bean beetle and its larval form (shown above) can destroy your bean harvest. Regulary inspect the undersides of your bean leaves and pick off and dispose of the pests.