Growing Corn

[Garden06]

I am starting my first garden this spring and am anxious to get started. I am trying to find out information on growing corn. I live about 30 miles east of Denver on the eastern plains and the soil out here is atrocious IT IS CLAY!! I wanted to know whom out there has had success in growing corn in there garden in dry arid soil.

[Grey]

Corn is a heavy feeder, and needs a lot of water, too.
Clay isn't a bad medium, it's just hard. It has a lot of nutrients, so if you can loosen up your soil by mixing some compost in there, it will help a lot.

Corn eats nitrogen - a lot of nitrogen, like most grasses.
Ryegrass & peas can help restore that nitrogen after your corn crop is finished at the end of the season, just turn it back into the soil.

But for this season - grind up some eggshells, it'll help.

[opabinia51]

Actually Grey, Rye doesn't restore Nitrogen; it keep the nitrogen that is in the soil, in the soil. Peas and beans are great as they are legumes as are vetch, clover and many other plants that can be planted with the corn that will feed the corn.

You probably will want to wait until after the last frost to plant your corn. The seeds like the soil to be nice and warm for germination. Once the corn plants are a few inches tall, plant a pole bean on either side of the corn plants. The Beans will feed the corn, and use the stalk at a support.

[Grey]

Well bummer, Opa - I planted Ryegrass this past fall thinking I was helping my soil out!
Ah, well.

[opabinia51]

Oh it will, Rye adds Carbon to the soil. Just mow it repeatedly and let the clippings fall to the ground.


Yes, as previously said: Beans, peas, vetch, clover and so on are all nitrogen fixers. Well, they don't fix the nitrogen, the bacteria that live in nodules on the roots of these plants fix the nitrogen. And when you mow them, the bottom parts of the roots slough off, releasing the nitrogen into the soil.

Same thing happens with the roots of rye but, just carbon is added to the soil, no nitrogen.