Transplanting Corn

[jal_ut]

The corn I planted on the 5th of may came up a bit spotty. I think it didn't germinate well because of the cool wet weather. Rather than have a sparse planting and run the risk of ears not filling out well, I transplanted some of the corn to fill out the rows. I started out with 8 rows and ended up with 6.

Here is how I did it: First dig a hole to put the plant. Then dig it up with the garden trowell. Keep the soil around the roots as you move it.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/dig_corn.jpg[/img]

Then place it in the previously dug hole and firm the soil aroung it.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/plant_corn.jpg[/img]

Water the transplants.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/water_corn.jpg[/img]

These plants won't even know they have been moved. You can move many garden plants this same way when they are small.

[engineeredgarden]

I start my corn in cellpacks around the first of March, which easily gives me a headstart on the season. I have corn right now that is 8 feet tall, and several ears forming. I'll always do it this way.

EG

[rootsy]

I started about 20 dozen in the greenhouse and transplanted them early April while we were in the 70's. Plants were about V4 (still growing from beneath ground). Planted seed with the IH 455 about April 15 and it took 2 weeks to spike and a few days after to split. End of April along came a frost and nipped the top of the stuff planted 4/15... The stuff in the greenhouse I had transplanted was already at V5 - V6 and only a couple survived... 4 to be exact... They are about a foot tall and are in an area that I have since transplanted fall hubbard squash into so I am just going to let em go... Without fertilizer they won't do much but what the heck...

[rainbowgardener]

Sounds like you are speaking a foreign language, rootsy, but I got the gist to know this is a very sad story.

It's why I could never be a farmer, though I admire them intensely and love gardening.... To have my livelihood depend on when the frost comes and when the rain comes or doesn't, etc, would just make me too crazy.

[rootsy]

Sounds like you are speaking a foreign language, rootsy, but I got the gist to know this is a very sad story.

It's why I could never be a farmer, though I admire them intensely and love gardening.... To have my livelihood depend on when the frost comes and when the rain comes or doesn't, etc, would just make me too crazy.

With corn and growth stages you can classify it by the number of leaf collars it has. Up to V6 (6 leaves) the growing point is beneath the ground and a light frost may kill the exposed foliage but the plant will continue to grow and come back if it wasn't near the point of taking over above ground.

The stuff that was up from seed took some frost and has since come back... it's anywhere from 8 - 10 inches at the moment. Bout time to put some liquid fertilizer in the ground next to the row on the next cultivating round. Since I put it in early and it was still a bit "cool" for an Sh2 genetic seed some of it is spotty where it was heavy wet ground.

I was hoping for 4th of July sweet corn... Both for myself and as an early treat with a hefty price tag for market... Just enough to get folks in the mood. I should still have early corn (earlier than anyone else around here) as I put seed in the ground 2 weeks before usual. The warm April brought the ground temps up enough that I risked it as all of my seed is treated and that really helps to ensure good even germination under some tough conditions...

Field corn (#2 dent) is an entirely different creature from sweet corn. Being an Su type genetic it can go in at 50 F sustained...

[jal_ut]

Aw, too bad Rootsy. That is the way it goes though with growing things. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. I suppose in the long run we have more successes than failures.

Corn on the 4th of July? Never happen here. The saying goes, "Corn knee high on the 4th of July." You will be lucky to have it ready by the 4th of August.

I will plant another few rows for a later crop any day now. It should germinate better with warmer weather.

[Gary350]

When my corn comes up spotty I always plant more seeds in the places where there are no plants. I drop the seed on the soil then push it into the soil about 1 inch deep with my finger. This works real good it keeps all the corn from becoming ripe and ready to harvest all at the same time. I typically get 2 harvests about 2 weeks apart.

[rootsy]

unfortunately I don't have the luxury of patching in by hand. It is enough work if I have to thin by hand. There is just too much ground to cover.

With the Sh2's you get a 2 week harvest window +/-. My first replications I space 2 weeks apart. Later ones go in a week after the last replication spikes through. Early corn emerges and gets going slower than later so planting too close causes too much of an overlap and you may very well end up with more corn than I can move at one time.

[engineeredgarden]

jal - I'll be picking corn around the 21st of this month. Yeehaw!

EG

[jal_ut]

jal - I'll be picking corn around the 21st of this month. Yeehaw!

What variety do you like there in the South?

As predicted, it looks like my corn will be knee high by the 4th of July.

[LindsayArthurRTR]

we will be eating silver queen by the weekend