Please help me with my corn!!!

[ethics213]

I'm worried that I'm going to lose my corn. Here's a little bit of background. I planted a super sweat variety on May 13th. There are six rows of 50' spaced 30" apart, with an average crop spacing of 6"-8". I've fertilized with Fox Farms: Peace of Mind All-Purpose 5-5-(once at 8" and again at knee high). I didn't want to over do it because I've had crimson clover growing the spot for a few years.

Anyhow, this is my dilemma. They've barly reached 2 and a half feet and are in full tassel. From what I've read is that by time they've gone to full Tassel the vegetative growth is over. I"m really hoping that this is wrong. Any insight would be great.

[engineeredgarden]

Yep, they won't grow any taller....However, they'll still produce ears.

EG

[jal_ut]

About all you can do now is keep it watered. A side dressing of nitrogen may also help the ears fill out. It isn't going to get any taller if it is tasseled out.

Yes, most corn varieties will get from 5 to seven feet tall. If they don't, your soil is lacking in nutrients or it hasn't had enough water. A soil test for next year may be a good idea.

What variety? If it was one of the short duration corns, they are shorter any way.

[cherishedtiger]

Ohh such a good question!! My corn is doing the same thing, about 4' tall and I have tassels on all of them... hope we both get corn though! Mine is the Silver Queen variety, what is yours?

[applestar]

ah, that explains some of my corn doing the same. thanks for posting this question. We've had severe drought, promised rain through the night passed us by a couple of nights ago, and no rain in the forecast in the next 7 days.... Mine are mostly being grown for fun and experience so it's not so dire. I hope yours gets through this, E.

P.s. Mine are Double Red Sweet from an Oregon nursery -- probably wants LOTS of rain....

[DoubleDogFarm]

I would do a ph test. Maybe the nitrogen is being locked up and not available to the corn. Watering, fertilizing and soil temps are most critical during the V3-V5 stage.

[ethics213]

Thank you all so much...

My ph is at 6.5.

As for water. We've gotten 6+ inches this month followed by a few 90 degrees days... hell it was down to 47 last night... do you think that the crazy weather could of played a role???

You guys say that they will still produce ears, but at what size; and Is it really worth continuing? What do you think about just tilling them under and starting over? I figure if I replant Saturday the finish date would be sept 10th. Too late?

I know that a soil test you be more accurate. but like I said, I've had clover growing there for three years. the soil there is black as night. Before planting, I tilled in last years compost. I've also got bush bean in the same bean and they're doing great. I put at or around 4lbs a day.

Maybe it's just the garden gods f'in with me. Considering that everything in my 8000 sf garden is 100% organic heirloom with the exception of the corn...

[ethics213]

also, in response of what type. It's is xtra-tender 374A, White super sweet from Johnny's select seed.

[DoubleDogFarm]

[/quote]Maybe it's just the garden gods f'in with me[quote]

and she will get you every time.

[hit or miss]

Go for a double crop! Plant new corn between the current rows and let a second crop grow. Corn takes lots of nitrogen from the soil, amend accordingly. I've seen some really short sweet corn through the years.

[jal_ut]

[url=https://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/mainSearch/showAll.php?searchCriteria=corn&sortBy=overallrating&order=DESC&searchIn=0&sideSearch=Search]Corn Varieties Rated[/url]

It could be the variety doesn't like your location.
Check the above link. Look for a 75 day SE type corn with good ratings. Yes, I think you can plant some more now. I planted some two days ago and my season is likely shorter than yours. Good idea to plant between the rows and let this corn produce what it will.

[rootsy]

If the corn is very light green / yellow then you have a severe lack of nitrogen. Too much moisture (like standing water over a period before absorbsion) will tie up available nitrogen and severely stunt growth.

If you have incorporated A LOT of green manure (grass clippings, etc) that will also tie up nitrogen.

That variety should achieve 5 - 6 feet in good soil with proper nutrition.

Side dressing with small number fertilizers is futile... Especially if your ground lacks sufficient nitrogen to begin with.

[ethics213]

If the corn is very light green / yellow then you have a severe lack of nitrogen. Too much moisture (like standing water over a period before absorbsion) will tie up available nitrogen and severely stunt growth.

If you have incorporated A LOT of green manure (grass clippings, etc) that will also tie up nitrogen.

That variety should achieve 5 - 6 feet in good soil with proper nutrition.

Side dressing with small number fertilizers is futile... Especially if your ground lacks sufficient nitrogen to begin with.

See that's the thing. The corn is/was green as could be. I honestly don't believe that it's a nute problem. The only yellowing that occurred was the lower first leaves on a few of the plants. literally only a few.

[img]https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/ethics213/IMG_1832.jpg[/img]

I had only used grass clippings as a light mulch. the only other green manure used was when I tilled under the crimson clover that had been growing there before.

I figure it had to be the 6+ inches of rain that fell last month. although the area drains wonderfully with no ponding what so ever... I just can't see what else would of caused the stunted growth.

I went ahead and tilled under three rows (leaving three just to see what they'll do) and replanted. I put 5 half rows of the same corn in and planted bush beans in the rest of the plot. [/img]

[farmerlon]

In that photo, it looks like you have "a ton" of grass/weeds growing under the Corn.
I'm thinking that could be a big part of the problem. All that stuff growing under and between the corn, will rob a lot of nutrients and water that the corn could use.

[Gary350]

You need to till the corn to keep the grass and weeds down and break the soil surface. The hard smooth soil surface acts like a wick that suck the moisture to the surface then it evaporates. This makes the soil too dry for the plants. Till the soil NO deeper than 1" just deep enough to break up the surface. The loose surface soil dries out and acts like insulation to keep the moisture from evaporating. This is an farming trick I learned from my Grandfather when I was young.

Plastic will not do the same thing because the plastic will not let rain pass through.

You can mulch with straw and it works great but I think it is too late so if it were me I would flood the garden with lots of water it should make those tiny ears of corn get larger.

I never use straw or any type mulch because dirt is free it only takes 10 cents worth of gasoline to walk the tiller through the garden at a pretty fast speed, about 10 minutes work to break up the soil surface.

[rootsy]

If the corn is very light green / yellow then you have a severe lack of nitrogen. Too much moisture (like standing water over a period before absorbsion) will tie up available nitrogen and severely stunt growth.

If you have incorporated A LOT of green manure (grass clippings, etc) that will also tie up nitrogen.

That variety should achieve 5 - 6 feet in good soil with proper nutrition.

Side dressing with small number fertilizers is futile... Especially if your ground lacks sufficient nitrogen to begin with.

See that's the thing. The corn is/was green as could be. I honestly don't believe that it's a nute problem. The only yellowing that occurred was the lower first leaves on a few of the plants. literally only a few.

[img]https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/ethics213/IMG_1832.jpg[/img]

I had only used grass clippings as a light mulch. the only other green manure used was when I tilled under the crimson clover that had been growing there before.

I figure it had to be the 6+ inches of rain that fell last month. although the area drains wonderfully with no ponding what so ever... I just can't see what else would of caused the stunted growth.

I went ahead and tilled under three rows (leaving three just to see what they'll do) and replanted. I put 5 half rows of the same corn in and planted bush beans in the rest of the plot. [/img]

That's not green..... That is very LIGHT green... unless it is just the photo coloring...

Even with some weed pressure it should be a very dark green if it has enough nitrogen to feed on.