double row spacing

[joed2323]

I keep trying to decide over double rows versus single rows.

Example:
If I plant 4 rows of sweet corn 30 inches between rows that would equal out to be 120 inches or a 10 foot wide section

Example:
If I plant for 4 double rows at 8 inches between each stalk and 30 inches between rows this equals a total area of 122 inches or just over 10 feet.

Example:
If I plant 4 double rows at a spacing of 10 inches between stalks on each row and with 30 inch spacing between each row that equals out to be a total space of 130 inches. Probably give a foot on each end of the rows as well...

My math may be alittle off since I haven't had my coffee yet.

Going with double rows you can almost get 8 rows in the space of 4 single rows..

I tried to do a side by side comparison last year of going double rows but I used 2 different varieties and planted them at different
Times. It Was not a accurate comparison but the single rows produced bigger ears.. on the double rows I planted bodacious and on the single rows I planted ambrosia.
The year before this I planted bodacious on single rows and the ears were much bigger then when I grew them on double rows.

I'm debating if I should retry this comparison again and try and make it equal with doing the same exact process with the single versus the double rows. I would use the same variety for a more accurate comparison of ear size and tip fill.

What are thoughts on double rows over single rows?? Many will say the single rows will produce a bigger ear but on the double rows you will get more ears..
This applies for a lot other crops as well, lots of veggies can be planted in the double row form.

I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say??

[jal_ut]

Corn is interesting in that it will usually produce 2 ears per stalk, (this is how the term "ears" came to be) and sometimes stool out and produce another one. However if it is too crowded, it may only produce one ear or none. If it is planted too sparsely, it may not get pollinized well and you won't have full ears. The trick is to plant it dense enough to get good pollination, but not so dense as to discourage it from making ears. Just how dense that is will be different for each variety. I can only suggest, try something, but keep records. It may take a few years of experiments, but you will learn what is the best planting density for your variety. Then you will want to try another variety...... here we go again. Its the game we play.

I have planted Ambrosia for years. I can tell you that for that variety, rows at 30 to 32 inches and plants 8 inches apart in the rows, works very well.

I used to plant NK199 (which I can't get now) and it was a taller corn and did better if planted with 36 inch spacing on the rows.

If you have the room, for sure do the experiment this year with some single rows and some double rows. You would want to do enough to give you a pretty wide patch so the results would mean something. It is those rows in the center of the patch that will not have many ears if it is too crowded.

[hendi_alex]

I generally plant two seeds every foot and plant rows about 18 inches apart. That usually give one really good ear per stalk, and sometime yields a second ear that is worth harvesting. Sometimes the second ears are just too poorly developed to bother with. Anyway, with two seeds per spot, I'm really just getting equivalent to the best results that a person would get with a single seed per spot. This year, I've planted a little more sparsely, with most spots only having a single corn plant. Will compare to see how the harvest compares with two plants per hole compares to a single plant per hole.

My soil is very sandy and poor, so is not anywhere close to the kind of farmland that makes great corn. I have to give it lots of water and lots of fertilizer, and still just get modest results. Nevertheless, the delicious, 20 minute from corn patch to table corn is worth the effort. Just wish that I could do a better job of extending the season. It seems that only the earliest planting does well.