INDIANAPOLIS — If you live in Indiana, you've heard the saying "knee high by the Fourth of July" relating to corn height.
Does this saying actually guarantee a successful harvest in the fall?
If you're a farmer, you might want to follow a new saying.
"We often like to see corn that's about head high by the Fourth of July," said Dan Quinn.
Quinn is an assistant professor and the Extension Corn Specialist at Purdue University.
"In Indiana, if you're knee high by the Fourth of July, it's actually an indicator that you're probably, or more than likely, behind on that year," Quinn continued.
So, where did the saying come from? Quinn guesses sometime in the 1800s.
"Think about farms back then. We didn't have the level of genetics and seed we have today," Quinn explained. "We didn't have the level of equipment and speed that we can plant at that we do today."
So, where do we stand in Indiana so far this year? It depends on what part of the state you're in.
WRTV asked several farmers to share a video or photo of their corn height.
First up was Claudia Sims from Bartholomew County.
"This field here we planted May 11," Sims said. "It's currently measuring roughly seven foot tall."
Sims believes most corn in the county is around that height.
The Flanders family in Noblesville also shared a video of their sweet corn, which was up to 65" tall. Their field corn is 56" tall.
Luke Dougherty in Franklin described the problem with the holiday adage.
"My knee is down here, and this corn that I'm standing next to is all the way up there!" exclaimed Dougherty.
Dougherty said they had corn of all different heights, depending on when they planted it: April, May or June.
The corn planted in April is about 9 feet tall and it about to tassel.
Planting was an issue this year for several farmers across Indiana due to an abundance of spring rain.
"We had so much rain, and so, therefore, it was hard to get into the fields," remembered Margaret Gladden of Gladden Farms in Hendricks County.
"It seemed like every time it would rain, and then it would dry up a little bit," Gladden explained. "And then it would rain again."
Gladden isn't alone. The USDA reports more than 60% of corn is in excellent or good condition this week, but what about everyone else?
"About one-third of the crop is kind of behind," Quinn explained.
Quinn thinks some farms are about a month behind schedule since they had to plant later in the season.
"For the most part, we'll be able to catch up from that," Quinn shared. "We probably have lost a fair amount of yield potential."
Some farms could be looking at a later harvest this year.
For Gladden, she's content that the corn is head high in her field, despite a slower-than-normal start.
"It probably will tassel in the next week or next couple of weeks, so it'll be good," she said with a grin. "It's looking good now, so we're satisfied with it."
Going forward, Gladden is hoping for lots of sun to help the corn grow, mixed with a few rainy days here and there to avoid drought.
Quinn shared how drought could continue to cause issues for farmers.
"One concern we do have is that a lot of the crop has been planted late, and also been planted into really moist conditions," Quinn said. "We get a little bit concerned on actually the roots of the crop."
Roots are shallower when crops are planted in wet soil. Drought could be difficult for roots that are compromised like this.
"Farmers today, they have to be on top of everything," Quinn said.
So the next time you drive by a corn field this summer, you'll know if it's sky high, that farmers have been handling all of the weather's challenges well.
"We're just very thankful for our corn crop," Gladden concluded. "We're just very thankful for what we have right now."
