Transplanting Corn Questions

[specgrade]

I planted 3-5 kernals per hole and got 3-5 corn stocks per hole. I seperated them when they were 1-2 feet tall and I wasn't sure if they would survive and it looked really bad for about a week or better. Now all is well, I mean, they look healthy. I have a couple of ears on most of the stocks and they have tassels and are about 4 feet high.

My question is do you think transplanting did any real damage? Would not having to transplant (only 1 kernal/hole) made for taller/more ears corn? Thank you.

[susanaproenca]

You did it right not letting 3-5 stalks grow together in the same spot. that's called thinning (I'm new in gardening so someone correct me if I'm wrong please.) You have to give the plants the correct amount of space so the roots have good room to grow and they don't have to compete for nutrients.

I thin my seedlings when they are smaller, about 2-3 inches tall. When the plant is bigger and it's been growing together with other little plants for a longer period of time, you risk injuring the roots when you pull one of the plants off.

When you say you transplanted the corn, do you mean you replanted some of the stalks you took from the holes and planted them in other spot? How do they look now?

If your corn looks healthy and it's producing, I'd say keep it up with the good work and enjoy it!

[jal_ut]

It is best to allow only singles and space them 8 inches to 12 inches in the rows. This is also the way to plant to avoid the need to thin. You can put in a few extras if you wish to cover germination, but still only put one seed in a hole. Later if you need to transplant it is much easier if there is some room between them. I had a post on here about transplanting corn. That corn I transplanted never even hesitated.

[url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26316&highlight=transplanting+corn]Click Here[/url]

[jal_ut]

My question is do you think transplanting did any real damage?

No. Corn transplants quite well, especially if you don't disturb the roots too badly.

Corn is a large plant and a heavy feeder. It needs space to produce well. My recommendstion is always to plant rows 30 inches apart and plants 8 to 12 inches spaced in the rows. If given this much space, each plant will produce two nice big ears. If more crowded each plant will produce one or none.

Corn needs lots of nitrogen for optimum growth. You can side dress with some 32% nitrogen if you wish. Is your corn a good deep green color? If it is not and looks yellowish, give it some nitrogen. Actually if it is all tasseled out no use to fertilize now. The time to add nitrogen to corn is at planting and again at about knee high.

Hope you get a great harvest.

[specgrade]

When you say you transplanted the corn, do you mean you replanted some of the stalks you took from the holes and planted them in other spot? How do they look now?

If your corn looks healthy and it's producing, I'd say keep it up with the good work and enjoy it!

Yes I replanted the corn stalks (thanks for the spelling) in a row where my peas used to be and now they look pretty good. Thank you for the encouragement!

[specgrade]

My question is do you think transplanting did any real damage?

No. Corn transplants quite well, especially if you don't disturb the roots too badly.

Corn is a large plant and a heavy feeder. It needs space to produce well. My recommendstion is always to plant rows 30 inches apart and plants 8 to 12 inches spaced in the rows. If given this much space, each plant will produce two nice big ears. If more crowded each plant will produce one or none.

Corn needs lots of nitrogen for optimum growth. You can side dress with some 32% nitrogen if you wish. Is your corn a good deep green color? If it is not and looks yellowish, give it some nitrogen. Actually if it is all tasseled out no use to fertilize now. The time to add nitrogen to corn is at planting and again at about knee high.

Hope you get a great harvest.

My corn is a rich to deep green in color. I had no idea about the nitrogen. It probably got it from the Miracle Grow I used to use. I am trying to get away from it and just go organic.

When it came to my corn I tried to repeat what the farmers did in their fields and their stalks look pretty close together. Thank you for the encouragement!

[garden5]

There's a saying about planting corn: "One for the cutworm, one for the crow, one for the blackbird, and one to grow."

You may have set them back by about a week with the transplanting, but your harvest will be as good as any.

[rootsy]

At a foot or more tall you are getting to the point where they are growing from above ground instead of below... I reckon you cut off a lot of the deep roots... May very well have stunted them. Lots of water and fertilizer if you hope to get good ears...