Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Swing Swang on July 31, 2016, 17:39
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Exactly 3 months after sowing my mielies are still growing - no tassels yet, but just the hint of silks - this is now the 12th year that I've been experimenting with this crop and, fingers crossed, with a warm August I could actually get a crop. Picture for those of you who are interested in this type of maize:
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/Mielies%2028%20Jul%2004%20SMALL.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/Mielies%2028%20Jul%2004%20SMALL.jpg.html)
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What do you use it for, corn on the cob?
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Yes - but the flavour is savoury rather than sweet, and the texture is chewy/doughy - goes well with melted butter and pepper.
The other thing that it's used for is mielie bread - a 'loaf' that is steamed in a can and which has quite a moist texture.
I've tried to get a crop for the last 12 years and have just kept making some year on year adjustments as the bottom line is that the UK growing season is about 2 weeks too short. I would have given up had it not been for the fact that David Mwanaka of http://www.mwanakafreshfarmfoods.com manages to get a commercial crop of a very similar maize into the supermarkets every August.
His website is worth a look (I have no commercial or social association with David Mwanaka but have followed his success with interest in the media over the past few years)
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Ate the first ones today - in an ideal would my preference would be for a bit more maturity, but they got the nod of approval from my South African OH - pictures to follow:
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A bit late but here are some pics of my mielies:
Cut in half - 16 rows
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/Mielie-17-October-2016-02.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/Mielie-17-October-2016-02.jpg.html)
Blanched and froze over 50 now:
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/Mielie-17-October-2016-01.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/Mielie-17-October-2016-02.jpg.html)
Growing on the plants:
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/Mielies%201%20Oct%2003%20SMALL.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/Mielies%201%20Oct%2003%20SMALL.jpg.html)
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye:
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/Mielies%201%20Oct%2001%20SMALL.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/Mielies%201%20Oct%2001%20SMALL.jpg.html)
And by way of comparison this is the best that I managed to achieve last year - after 12 years of trials I've succeeded! Basically all down to seed variety, planting date, planting conditions, fertilization regimen etc, etc...
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/SwingSwang/IMG_3618%20SMALL.jpg) (http://s279.photobucket.com/user/SwingSwang/media/IMG_3618%20SMALL.jpg.html)
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Well done :D