>Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 09:59:08 -0400 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: Hugh Lovel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: Crows and Corn >Cc: >Bcc: >X-Attachments: > > >> >>Dear Tom, >> >>If your problem is they are picking out the sprouting seed, plant it over >>an inch deep and they cannot do this. Soon they give up and no damage is >>the result. >> >>Best, >>Hugh Lovel >>Blairsville, Georgia >> >>If I may I have a question please. The crows are going after my seed but >>are pulling the corn spikes out. How would they not damage the corn? Are >>the sprouts thicker and stronger? I put a blow up silver mylar from stakes >>flapping in the wind, owl and snake in the garden so we will see what >>happens. This will be my fourth planting this year of my corn. >> >>Thanks for your time >> >>Mike Alexander >>714 966-2271 > >Dear Tom, > >Sorry, no time for phone calls. Mylar, snakes, all can help including >scattering some whole corn a little distance away to feed the crows so >they don't hunger after the planted stuff. > >Really corn planters have a two-fold problem. Crows and mice. Corn >planting machinery generally has a heavy wheel that follows the seed drop >chute and this packs the soil directly over the seed. Machinery is set so >it drops about two inches down and the wheel packs it ensuring good >contact with soil moisture and about an inch and a half of packed soil >above and another half inch or so below. If the seed is set at three inch >depth this will generally be below the packed zone and mice (voles really) >will tunnel along in the loose soil and eat out every seed for long runs. >Before the leaf whorl breaks the surface the corn roots will already be >outside the packed zone and into loose, nourishing soil that it is easy to >grow in. In fact, because contact with soil moisture is better, the corn >generally comes up quicker. But if the seed is only an inch or so deep >the crows will pick at it and every once in a while get out a seed. This >encourages them and they will pull out another dozen sprouts to get the >next seed, and what a mess! > >But think about it. Do you see farmers with hundreds of acres of corn >planted and coming up with crows busy plucking out the sprouts? Hell no! >The mode of planting is enough all by itself to defeat the crows. And the >mice too. The trouble is gardeners generally don't have the wherewithall >to eliminate these problems with planting and they don't know what farmers >are doing anyway. > >Best, >Hugh Lovel > > Visit our website at: www.unionag.org
