dtlove129
Senior Member
Posts: 293
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:04 pm
Location: Decatur, IL

Field Corn next to my Sweet Corn

My corn just germinated and the field corn directly behind my house next to my corn just germinated. Last year the farmer did beans, but I'm wondering if I need to worry about cross-pollination this year? I mean they are both the exact same size at this point.

DoubleDogFarm
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 6113
Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm

Only need to worry if they pollinate at the same time.

Eric

User avatar
jal_ut
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7447
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

What Eric says, and it is not likely they will tassel at the same time. Field corn is usually much longer season than sweet corn. Wonder if he is growing silage corn or sweet corn? Silage corn for sure is longer season.

dtlove129
Senior Member
Posts: 293
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:04 pm
Location: Decatur, IL

Good because I started with Peaches and Cream (83 day) and if the weather cooperates it should be harvested around July. Then I have a 62 day corn that I'm going to put out after that and harvest before our first frost.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

dtlove129 wrote:Good because I started with Peaches and Cream (83 day) and if the weather cooperates it should be harvested around July. Then I have a 62 day corn that I'm going to put out after that and harvest before our first frost.
Have you tried 2 crops of corn before? It seems to me it should work fine because your weather is not too extremely hot during the summer.

I have tried that in TN but 100 deg weather July and Aug is a bit hot for a 2nd crop of corn. I have to water every day to get the seeds to grow then I have to water every day to make it grow taller than 3 ft. Even then the late corn is stunted and ears are small. I have learned to plant 2nd corn in August then it matures late Oct just before frost when it is cooler this works good for me.

I have relatives that live in Decatur and relatives in Winsor. My cousin plants 2000 acres of field corn every summer. The guy planting field corn next to you could be my cousin. LOL. I tell people in TN how the corn in IL goes on as far as you can see in all directions for 100s of miles they don't believe it. I use to have photos but lost them. Land is flat at a table up there it is easy to see 20 miles of corn.
Last edited by Gary350 on Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.

dtlove129
Senior Member
Posts: 293
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:04 pm
Location: Decatur, IL

Gary, this is my first year trying to crops. Good to know about waiting until it is a little cooler. Maybe with that 63 day corn I can wait until first of August and take my chances. I'm only doing it this year because of the early spring I planted my corn 3 weeks earlier than last year.

Yeah, I'm originally from KY and have been here for almost 4 years and it is a change. The wind up here is brutal where it is so flat and that is why the corn seems to go on forever...you can see forever. The guy behind me is nice, well the guy that spray for him is. Last year the guy came along to spray his beans and went outside and he actually stopped the sprayer and came over and asked about my garden and said he would try to stay plenty far away to keep the roundup from destroying my stuff. I hope the same guy sprays again and remembers! haha.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”