Let's Start Farming: Protect the Corn at All Costs

The corn seedlings I planted in early April are growing steadily.

Before I knew it, they reached about 150 centimeters in height, the tassels (those things that look like pampas grass antennas) at the top of the stalks have spread out, and the ears (the parts you eat once they grow) are starting to form between the stalks. The mechanism for producing the corn we usually see is that the pollen from the tassels at the top lands on the wispy, hair-like silks of the ears below. Therefore, it seems that growing multiple plants rather than just one makes pollination easier and increases the chances of producing ears.

Currently, nine corn plants are growing, and if all goes well, I should be able to harvest them in a month or two.

Two years ago, when I ate freshly picked corn that arrived through the hometown tax donation program (Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture), I was surprised to find it sweeter than any fruit I had ever eaten. We devoured the 12 ears of corn that arrived as if we were fighting over them, and they disappeared from the refrigerator in no time. Even if I can't reach that level, I want to make this corn project a success no matter what.

However, the more I research how to grow this corn, the more worried I become. That is, about the Asian corn borer.

"Go! Asian corn borer! Tackle!"

It sounds like a name from Pokémon, but this is the name of a moth. The terrifying thing about this moth is that it approaches when the tassels are shedding pollen, lays eggs on the stalks and leaves of the corn, and the hatched larvae burrow inside and eat the corn kernels completely. Moreover, from the outside, it looks fine at first glance, but when you harvest it and peel back the husks, there are no kernels, just wriggling caterpillars inside. And this happens with a high probability.

I don't want that! Absolutely not! That would be too sad! I must defend it!! It must not be taken!!

I said with teary eyes, turning into Haruko Akagi from Slam Dunk.

Suddenly worried because I hadn't taken any measures against the Asian corn borer until now, I bought insect-proof netting and protected the corn for the time being.

I put this insect-proof netting on in mid-June. When I looked closely, there were all sorts of insects on the corn. Flies, stink bugs, cucumber beetles, and moths. Hmm? A moth?

"Is it this one!"

A moth about 2 centimeters long. I shooed it away. Thinking it might be, I observed the corn closely and found it. An Asian corn borer caterpillar deep inside the tassel. That means it's unlikely to be just this one. I searched for others but couldn't find any. There is a possibility that it has already burrowed inside.

The egg-laying season for the Asian corn borer is from June to August. My countermeasures were a bit too late. Ideally, I should have put the insect-proof netting on in May.

According to my farming mentor, using netting makes it harder for the plants to catch the wind, which can hinder pollination, or conversely, it can end up full of insects, so he recommended pesticides. Hmm... but I spent so much time putting up the insect-proof netting, and I want to go without pesticides, so I decided to continue as is this year and see how it goes.

A week later, since the basic rule is to grow one or two ears per corn stalk, I tried harvesting the third ear that had formed as a baby corn.

There was a mark on the corn husk that looked like it had been pierced with a 2-millimeter drill. With a bad feeling, I peeled back the husks one by one. No matter how much I peeled, the hole didn't stop. The hole reached all the way to the baby corn, and deep inside that hole was an Asian corn borer caterpillar taking a nap with its knees tucked in.

"I've been had. Damn it."

Thinking it might be the same, I harvested another baby corn. When I peeled back the husk, the result was the same.

I didn't check the other corn, but the situation is hopeless. If only at least one could grow properly... but that's probably wishful thinking, isn't it?

Next year, I'll try planting early so I can harvest before the corn borers start flying around. Home gardening is quite difficult.

I wonder if I should order freshly picked corn again for this year's hometown tax donation. It's making me want to eat some delicious corn even more.