ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997               TAG: 9703270079
SECTION: QUICK LOOK               PAGE: 3    EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER 

GREEN THUMBS

For early corn, plan(t) now

Instead of corn knee-high by the Fourth of July, it can be closer to melting in your mouth by then if you plant it now - under a blanket. Plant the seeds in a 3''- to-4''-deep trench, then cover the rows with clear plastic, anchored on each side with dirt. Cut slits in the plastic for water to get in and heat to get out. When the corn gets high enough to bang its head against the plastic, cut large slits for the plants to grow through.

If the tops of the plants do get frostbitten, it's all right. They grow from the bottom, like grass. Some super-sweet varieties do need to wait until warmer weather.

LENGTH: Short :   23 lines