PLANTING CORN

PLANTING CORN

In the Garden of Eden where I live, I'm planting corn part to my intake to feed the animals, and to sell on the trade. Use seed and early hybrid. (Valdemir Mota de Menezes)

CORN 

Botanical name: Zea mays

Plant type: Vegetable

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Sun exposure: Full Sun

Soil type: Loamy

Soil pH: Neutral

Sweet corn is an annual with yellow, white, and bi-colored ears. A long, frost-free growing season is necessary after planting. Sweet corn is wind-pollinated, so it should be planted in blocks, rather than in single rows. Early, mid, and late-season varieties extend the harvest. If you miss the optimal harvest time, corn will go downhill fast as sugars convert to starch.
Planting

* Corn is picky about its soil. Work in aged manure or compost the fall before planting and let over winter in the soil.
* Starting seeds indoors is not recommended.
* Plant seeds outdoors two weeks after the last spring frost date.
* Make sure soil temperature is above 60 degrees for successful germination. (Up to 65 for super sweet varieties.) In colder zones, the ground can be warmed by a black plastic cover if necessary. Plant seeds through holes.
* Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 9 to 12 inches apart.
* Leave about 3 feet between rows.
* For sufficient pollination, plan your plot right. Don’t plant two long rows, rather, plant corn blocks of at least four rows.
* You may choose to fertilize at planting time, corn is meant to grow rapidly. If you are confident that the soil is adequate, this can be skipped.
* Water well at planting time.


Care

* Be careful not to damage the roots when weeding.
* Soil must be well drained and able to keep consistent moisture.
* In dry conditions, be sure to keep corn well watered due to its shallow roots. Water at a rate of 5 gallons per sq yard. Mulch helps reduce evaporation.
* When the plants are 4 to 5 inches tall, thin them to stand 16 to 23 inches apart.

Pests

* Spotted Cucumber Beetles
* Flea Beetles
* Cutworms
* Corn Rootworms
* Raccoons

Harvest/Storage

* Harvest when tassels begin to turn brown and cobs start to swell. Kernels should be full and milky.
* Pull ears downward and twist to take off stalk.
* Sweet corn varieties lose their sweetness soon after harvesting.
* Prepare for eating or preserving immediately after picking.
* Sweet corn freezes well, especially if removed from ears before freezing.

Recommended Varieties



There are three types of sweet corn: Normal, sugar enhanced and super sweet. Each one contains a different level of sucrose, changing the flavor and texture of the corn. Sweeter varieties will stay sweeter for longer after harvest.

* ‘Iochief’ Midseason normal-sugar variety. Yellow.
* ‘Silver Queen’ normal sugar-variety. Resistant to some bacterial diseases. White.
* ‘Challenger Crisp n Sweet’ supersweet variety, resistant to some diseases, high yield. Yellow.
* ‘Pristine’ sugar enhanced variety, good taste. White.

PLANTING YAM

PLANTING YAM

By Valdemir Mota de Menezes

The humble taro or yam has helped many Foochow pioneers of Sibu pass their initial days. Many yam plants were found growing wild in the early 1900's around Sibu. The Foochows then grew their own in their vegetable

Although taro or yam has been a familiar plant in Southern China, there are more varieties of this food crop in Sarawak. they come in different shapes, sizes and even colour. The best type being the bilong type in the Foochow dialect. It has a lot of purple streaks and its skin is thinner than the others. It has a gentle and crunchy feel. All others belong to the "indigenous type" and are therefore less valued. They are harder to cook too.

The yam is a very humble root crop. However in recent years when the world is facing a food crisis every food crop is in the lime light. The yam is now a much sought after food in the market. And in fact it can be found as part of some food supplements. However it remains a delightful occasional food item on the table of the Foochows.

How do the Foochows value this food?

First of all it is a good supplementary food item besides rice. The Foochows have created a few signature dishes out of the yam which is grown on sides of fish ponds, in the main vegetable patch or even on road sides. The best yam is grown on well drained and fertile hillslopes.

The best dish is the Foochow yam cDSC00106ake, followed by mixed vegetables in yam ring, deep fried yam balls (dim sum) and Abacus Yam Balls. The Foochows have a fantastic savoury yam porridge or paste made out of yam, dried shrimps and pork fat with lots of fried onions. Yam has also found its way into cold desserts recently . Bubur char char, halo halo and ice cream now contain yam.

There is a very strong Foochow belief that yam helps in digestion. Hence a good meal with some mashed yam seems to be more complete than others. Perhaps it is because yam is fairly fibrous.

And here is a simple recipe from my grandmother, Tiong Lien Tie.

One fairly big yam, skinned and cut into small pieces. Steamed until soft.DSC00106

Deep fry chopped small onions.

Add a few table spoons of pork fat into a heated kuali. Saute until the oil comes out and the fat is crispy.

Add 2 tablespoons of pounded dried prawns. Fry until fragrant.

Add a few slices of lean pork.

Add the onions and the mashed yam.

Add water and cook until a paste is formed. This takes a good hour of slow cooking. Finally add salt, pepper, chillies to taste.

Enjoy the simple but tasty Foochow yam dish with rice and kang kong soup.

You cannot get this dish in a restaurant. It is what we always humour ourselves with - our village Foochow food - but it is always our dream food. I believe that if we remember our roots in the villages, we will remember our ROOT food too.

We call it Wow Neh or Yam Paste.

HARVESTING PALM PUPUNHA

HARVESTING PALM PUPUNHA
In this video the Scribe Valdemir Mota de Menezes're chopping palm peach palm, harvested at the site and then loading the truck to take the product from the field to Industria de Palmito the benefit and distribute in supermarkets in the country.



HARVESTING PALM PUPUNHA - PART 1/2 por valdemirenglish
HARVESTING PALM PUPUNHA - PART 2/2 por valdemirenglish