Prepping soil and growing corn - Zone 7/8

[p8riot]

I live on 7.5 acres in central Virginia, right on the dividing line between zones 7&8. We boarded some horses here a couple of years ago, but now all we have are a miniature donkey and a whethered (gelded) goat. I just fenced off half of my 150 footx300 foot riding ring and want to use the other half for a vegetable garden.

The soil is in pretty good shape considering we are in the middle of a drought right now. The area gets lots of sun and is easily accessible by foot and tractor, and I can get plenty of water to it. We have tried growing corn (in another area of the property nearer the house) the last few years organically, but have never had much success. I was wondering if it is because we were trying to grow hybrid varieties instead of open-pollenated ones. Do open-pollenated do better organically than hybrids?

Anyway I want to put three or four 100 foot rows in this spring and was wondering about prepping the soil this fall and over the winter. What amendments to use, how deep to, till, etc.... I want to keep this as organic as possible. I'd also like some pointers on which open-pollenated varieties work best in my zone, and what kind of yields to expect. I also would be interested in seed sources for open-pollenated corn and other non-hybrid style fruits and veggies to grow along with the corn.

[Newt]

Hi P8riot,

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll take a go at some.

Do open-pollenated do better organically than hybrids?

Not that I know of. It's mostly the soil, the nutrients in the soil and water that will effect growth.

...wondering about prepping the soil this fall and over the winter. What amendments to use, how deep to, till, etc.... I want to keep this as organic as possible.

Compost, compost and more compost. You might want to have a soil test done by your local extension service. They will tell you what is missing from your soil. Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder.
https://www.ext.vt.edu/

Consider doing sheet aka lasagna composting over the winter. Come spring you can add amendments and plant right in it.
https://www.bconnex.net/~carolw/lasagna1.html
https://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx

I'd also like some pointers on which open-pollenated varieties work best in my zone, and what kind of yields to expect.

You might find some info here to answer your questions.
https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/archive.html

I also would be interested in seed sources for open-pollenated corn and other non-hybrid style fruits and veggies to grow along with the corn.

Some organic and heirloom seeds can be found here.
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/
https://www.southernexposure.com/index.html
https://www.territorial-seed.com/stores/1/index.cfm
https://www.veseys.com/us/en/store/organicseed
https://www.seedsofchange.com/
https://www.organicseed.com/

You can check references for mail order nurseries and even search by material you want or by state.
https://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/

If you have problems with your corn you will find this a most helpful site.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/pages/hancock/agriculture/corn/diagnostic/corn_diagnostic.html

Hope this helps,
Newt

[p8riot]

Thanks for all of the info. Looks like I've got a bunch of reading to do.

[Newt]

You are very welcome! Let me know if you have more quetions after you do your 'homework'.

Newt