My veggie garden is in an area that can occasionally get pretty windy. Most of the crops do just fine but corn is particularly susceptible to the wind.
I have to say that there is nothing quite so depressing as having a really great-looking patch of corn one day, then have it all snapped off at ground level and lying in a heap the next. This has happened a few times in my garden over the years, and the last time it happened several years ago, I vowed not to let it happen again.
So here's what I do each year:
Once the corn plants are about 14-18" tall, I pound in stakes at each of the corners of my corn bed. Then I grab a ball of twine and run a line of it around the perimeter of the bed at a height of about 12 inches. After the plants grow a bit more, I repeat the process -- but this time, about a foot or so higher than the previous time. I do this one more time, once the plants are about 4 feet tall.
Corn plants have very short, stubby roots that don't hang on so well in a big windstorm. That's why I surround the bed with twine so that when the wind starts to blow, the plants have a little something to lean on so they don't blow all the way over. And it works great.
It just takes a few minutes and is well worth the effort. By the way, I took the above photo this morning and as you can see, the corn is nearly 5 feet tall already! I have high hopes for a good corn harvest this summer. I'll keep you posted...
