Thanks for sharing this. My experience with corn was equally dismal but for different reasons. I planted only sweetcorn. Germination rate was poor and eventually one or two forlorn looking ears formed on some of the plants that did decide to venture out of the dirt only to be decimated by a particularly vicious summer sun... This year was my first real attempt at growing food so I'm writing this particular failure off to experience. The rest of the garden produced well so I'm putting the corn's no show down to poor location. The beans and pumpkins planted in the same area were also rather dismal. Let's hope that next year yields better results for you too. Your problem with deer may of course indicate a lead deficiency...