Corn worms last year. Help!

[Donatello]

Last year I planted a trial row of corn. Had a Very nice crop, but every ear had a worm inside. I heard somewhere that you can put a rubber band around the top of the ear and prevent the worms. Corn farmers surely don't do that. I'm going to plant "Honey sweet" tomorrow. I prefer as little poison on my plants , if possible. Any help here?

 

[redback]

Don't plant them in the same spot as last year. Interplant the corn with - beans, herbs, marigolds, sunflowers, melons, squash and as much variety as possible without compromising the corn. All these other plants distract the worms and some of them will harbor the worm predators.

 

[Meadowlark]

The rubber band trick does not work...for me... but here is an organic solution that does work: 10 parts Neem oil mixed with 1 part BT applied via medicine dropper to the silks when they begin showing and continuing through harvest.

This is my own method created out of frustration with those worms. Highly effective, totally safe. I usually do something like three or four drops on each silk once a week.

That "Honey Select" is some special sweet corn...best I have ever grown/tasted. Too good to allow ear worms to share it.

You can get BT in various brands;

 

[YumYum]

I've heard a drop or two of mineral oil on the silk works, but I haven't tried it. Hmm.... maybe mix BT with some mineral oil so it sticks. Sounds cheaper.

 

[Meadowlark]

I've heard a drop or two of mineral oil on the silk works, but I haven't tried it. Hmm.... maybe mix BT with some mineral oil so it sticks. Sounds cheaper.

Actually, Neem oil is better for the mix. Unfortunately, it gets old fast, loses potency quickly but this is a great use I have found for old Neem oil. Of course, new Neem oil works also. Never throw out old Neem oil...has many uses.

 

[Donatello]

I went to Home Depot and searched for "Honey Sweet, Synergistic, Honey Select and others " that were recommended No luck!

I did get two packets each of Jackpot hybrid and Peaches and cream hybrid. . Apparently i have some time before the recommended planting date. I'll see what I can come up with. The clerk recommended diluted NEEM oil for the tassels later on.

 

[Meadowlark]

... The clerk recommended diluted NEEM oil for the tassels later on.

That makes absolutely no sense to me. The ear worm is on the ear of the corn, eating kernels. Tassels make pollen not something worms eat.

Put it on the silks and you get the worm.

Home Depot is really good for some things...seeds for the garden is not one of them nor is advice on growing corn apparently.

Amazon, Park, Territorial, Rohrer, e-bay among others have the seed.

 

[YumYum]

Hehe. If they did, Burpee or Ferry Morse only gives you a few kernels of corn for a few dollars. A local farm store or co-op or even hardware store may have what you want in a half pound bag or so. If not, just order it. Corn is expensive enough as it is.

 

[Donatello]

That makes absolutely no sense to me. The ear worm is on the ear of the corn, eating kernels. Tassels make pollen not something worms eat.

Put it on the silks and you get the worm.

Home Depot is really good for some things...seeds for the garden is not one of them nor is advice on growing corn apparently.

Amazon, Park, Territorial, Rohrer, e-bay among others have the seed.

I think the ear worms enter at the tassels . all last year were eaten from the tassels down . I don't think they chew through the husks to get at the kernels.

 

[Meadowlark]

According to my AI,

"Here’s how corn earworms make their way to the corn ear:

1. Egg Laying: The life cycle begins with eggs laid by the female moth. These eggs are usually deposited on corn silks and other suitable surfaces. The color of the eggs changes over time, from pale green to yellowish and then gray. The eggs hatch in about three to four days.
2. Larval Stage: Upon hatching, the larvae emerge and start wandering around the plant. Initially, they may feed together, but as they mature, they become aggressive and even cannibalistic. The larvae have alternating light and dark longitudinal stripes on their bodies, covered with numerous black spines. They feed on the silks and tips of the corn first and then move down to the ears.
3. Pupation: When fully grown, the larvae crawl down the host plant and pupate in the soil. This stage lasts for about eight to 14 days.
4. Adult Moths: After pupation, the adult moth emerges from the soil. The color of the corn earworm moth varies, ranging from tan or olive green to dark reddish-brown. Male and female moths have distinctive characteristics, including a dark spot in the center of the front wings and a dark band near the margin of the hind wings."

My experience of years of growing garden corn matches this "They feed on the silks and tips of the corn first and then move down to the ears."

Get 'em on the silks and you have control...otherwise there is no stopping them... but don't listen to me who has been doing this for decades...go with the Home Depot expert.

 

[Donatello]

Thanks for your input.. No need to get snippy. Please don"t comment further.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

Thanks for your input.. No need to get snippy. Please don"t comment further.

Them earworms if bad enough can destroy a whole crop of sweet corn . What meadowlark is saying is 100 percent correct. Good luck!!

 

[Donatello]

Ada Home Depot only had 3 or 4 varieties. I bought two packets of Ferry-Morse Jackpot Hybrid and Ferry-Morse Peaches n Cream Hybrid. Just a few kernels in each packet at $2.49 each packet.

I have a couple of bags of "Deer corn" left over from deer season. I may plant a row of that just for grins and giggles. Wonder how it would eat?