Facts about growing Corn

[Gary350]

I wish I had read this before I planted my corn. I have 36" row spacing, seed spacing is 6". I could have gotten 1 more row with 30" row spacing. My problem this year is the trees grow taller every year my corn only gets about 7 hours of full sun. I should have planted my corn a month ago instead of waiting for warmer weather. My corn is a 65 day crop it will mature in late July when temperature is 100 degrees if I had planted a month ago my corn would have matured in 90 degree weather.

Corn will germinate at 50 degrees F. Frost will not damage corn. Corn is not damaged by cold temperatures down to 28 degrees F. Corn is self pollinating by the wind, it will not pollinate below 50 degrees F or above 112 degree F. Corn will not pollinate in very low humidity climate.

An ear of corn averages 800 kernels. A pound of corn consists of approximately 1,300 kernels. 100 bushels of corn produces approximately 7,280,000 kernels. Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota account for over 50 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. The "Corn Belt" includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky. The USA produces 40% of the worlds corn. There are 92.3 millions acres of corn grown in the USA.

If you mix 1 lb of corn meal with 3 lbs of water, bring it to a boil then add 1 teaspoon of vinegar a chemical reaction takes place all the carbohydrates are converted to sugar in about 10 minutes.

Corn grows best in fertile soil, warm weather, full sun, high soil moisture, high nitrogen soil. The largest crop is produced when corn matures at 85 degrees F.

From planting to harvest takes 55 to 95 days, depending on the variety and, to some extent, the weather.

Recent research at Iowa State University has examined the effect of 15, 30 and 38 inch row spacing on corn grain yields. The results of these studies are summarized in Table 6. Narrowing rows to less than 30 inches showed very small and inconsistent results with the overall effect showing no yield benefit for row spacing less than 30".

Another study show row spacing of 32" produces the best yield, this is a different geographic location.

One test shows 20" rows out yielded 30" rows by 28.5 bushel of corn per acre. With a yield goal of 200 bushel per acre planting 33% more seed gives a yield of 228.5 bushel per acre.

Best Corn seed planting depth 2".

This data is from Tennessee this does not apply to northern states where they have cooler weather.

https://varietytrials.tennessee.edu/weig ... rsions.pdf

[jal_ut]

I have found that corn planted too dense, the inner plants will have no ears. Corn planted to thin the corn will have ears, but the cobs may not get pollinated and the kernels will be spotty. what works here is rows spaced 30 inches and plants 8 inches to a foot in the rows. Plant at least 3 rows.

[Gary350]

I have found that corn planted too dense, the inner plants will have no ears. Corn planted to thin the corn will have ears, but the cobs may not get pollinated and the kernels will be spotty. what works here is rows spaced 30 inches and plants 8 inches to a foot in the rows. Plant at least 3 rows.

I know what you mean corn is a tricky crop from the small garden. Best crop I every planted was about 1980 it was 50'x50' with 32" rows spacing and random seed spacing about 6" to 8" apart, ears were large and full I had to gave 3/4 of it away it was too much corn for us. For years I planted a 20'x20' crop ears were smaller and pollination was less but it was just right for us. This year I have 4 rows I think I will add 1 more row today. Rows are 20' long but too much shade trees are too tall.

[jal_ut]

Over the years, I have planted a lot of varieties, I buy seed from a local seed store. They have been good to only stock ones that do well here. I have came to like "Ambrosia". I plant only that one kind now. To get a spread out harvest, I plant three rows and when the plants are three inches tall plant three more rows, then when that second planting is three inches tall plant three more rows. RE shade: I planted a bunch of trees on the perimeter of the lot when I built the house here on a bare lot. When those things grew up the roots and the shade took out my garden pretty much. I had my logger friend come cut down 8 trees. Oh well, now we have firewood, and can again grow veggies.

Here May 5 is corn planting day. There in TN your weather and conditions are much different. You likely need to plant earlier and find a variety that will do well there. Good luck in your experiments.

[imafan26]

To add to your corn information
Corn is a temperate crop
Tropical corn can be grown year round. They will produce ears on a shorter day.
Corn has a few serious diseases
Stewart's Wilt
Maize mosaic virus
If any of these diseases are present you need to get resistant varieties
Tight husk corn varieties help keep corn earworms damage down
There are different kinds of corn
Fodder corn like dent corn for animal feeds. Most of the corn grown is grown for animal feed
ornamental corn
miniature corn
Corn comes in shades of yellow, white, bicolor, red, purple, multicolored
Sweet corn comes in standard sweet, sugary enhanced, and supersweet varieties
Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder and yield per square foot is low. It is generally not recommended as a home garden crop if space is limited since a home gardener's limited space can be better put to use with higher yielding crops that take less time and space to grow. However, who doesn't like the taste of fresh corn.

[feldon30]

In a home garden, I pack the corn in. I'll put 3 rows in a 4 foot wide bed. Then I fertilize the heck out of it with 45-0-0 when it's a foot high and again when it's 4 feet high. The 30-36" stuff on the back of the seed packet is targeted towards farmers with hectares of space.

[rainbowgardener]

Yup, I have a 4' x 4' bed with 16 corn plants in it. I haven't grown corn for years, and never this way. So we will just see what happens. It is making tassels now! (YAY!!). If jal-ut is right and some of the plants don't make ears, I still have time to thin out the two more blocks of corn I planted in succession (one set is about six inches high now and the last one is just showing above the ground). I haven't fertilized per se, but it is in very rich soil, growing like crazy and I just gave it its third dose of aerated compost tea.

[jal_ut]

" The 30-36" stuff on the back of the seed packet is targeted towards farmers with hectares of space."

Again I will say if corn is too crowded the inner stalks will have no ears on them. I don't have a clue what to expect in a 4x4 foot bed. Maybe 16 plants will make a go? This sounds like a fun experiment. Please keep us informed?

[rainbowgardener]

Definitely will keep everyone posted! This is an experiment. Like I said, if I find these don't produce very well, I will still have time to thin the next two blocks of corn in succession, so we can see if that helps.

Since people keep talking about "heavy feeders" I did give my corn and tomatoes a little bit of Rose-Tone fertilizer (what I had on hand). Trying to give my crowded corn the best shot. They are making tassels! Is that a sign that they will make ears also, or can they make tassels, but not ears?

[Gary350]

I saw something once online where someone did an experiment with a tiny 5'x5' crop of corn. When corn made tassels they put tarps around the crop to keep the pollen contained. According to the report it made good corn. I use to plant a compact crop of corn every summer 10'x10' crop with rows 12" apart, seed spacing was 6" apart, it made good corn every summer for 20 years.

I planted corn 2 weeks ago nothing is coming up. I carefully dug around in all the rows I can find no plants and no seeds. I hope moles did not eat all the corn. I don't think moles eat corn seeds. Garden soil is still 64 degrees. Soil is still soaking wet 2" down not sure I can till it until it gets dryer we had about 10" of rain in the past 2 weeks. I need to till soil several times in hot sun to warm it up and dry it out. I need more seed.

[rainbowgardener]

Cold wet soil probably rotted your seeds out.

Where in TN are you, that your weather is so different from mine? With the exception of a couple brief mild cold snaps, we have had a warm sunny spring. For some place that gets 50" of rain a year, I have had to water the garden surprisingly often.

My corn is three feet high with tassels.

[applestar]

Moles won't eat corn but if something else like voles are using mole runs, they might have taken advantage.

The corn can develop the tassel and not produce silk and cobs if undernourished, but the tassels will supply extra pollen for the silks that are present and ready on other plants. I'm finding that sometimes, tassels that formed before the silks will be depleted of pollen by the time silks come out and you have to rely on tassels that developed later. My method to even out the seedling with pre-started ones at same height can backfire in this case.

I need my corn to produce this year because I'm trying to grow out some of the hybrid sweet corn crossed with Glass Gem corn and also trying to see if Mirai350Bc can be introduced into the cross-breeding experiment. Actually I'm hoping for a melange with some other varieties, too.

Since I'm packing them in small beds as usual, I decided to opt for Chickity DooDoo fertilizer I spotted at the local Agway, but I've used Plant-tone which is high in nitrogen before -- I think that was last year.

BTW I've been trying to get alfalfa pellets, but somehow, I keep missing out -- the closest feed store next town over closed up. At Agway, I forgot the last time and this time, the answer was "it's coming this afternoon".... Then a customer came in and said she thought there was a man-hunt going on in near-by woods -- sheriffs vehicles at every access and a helicopter hovering over the woods. It was too creepy to go back even if I had the time/energy. Heh.

[rainbowgardener]

RE: "Since I'm packing them in small beds as usual" ... ok, applestar, 'fess up.. what does packing them in small beds mean specifically, how many plants in how many square feet?

Since you have done it before, how has it worked for you? Did all the plants get ears of corn?

[Gary350]

Where in TN are you,

30 miles south of Nashville a town called Murfreesboro TN.

[applestar]

Rainbowgardener, I have a bad habit of continuously trying new things and not sticking to what I know works. Hopefully there is some kind of cumulative wisdom going on in my head.

I have generally had more trouble with incomplete pollination than inadequate growth and ears not forming. By this, what I mean is that corn plants seems to duke it out for themselves and if there isn't enough nutrients, there will be dominant/bullies that will take what they need and leave half-grown runts -- they will make some attempt to silk, but mostly end up with empty baby corn like cobs (which BTW are edible if picked at green stage) These runts are excellent for pollinating silks that form lower down on neighboring stalks.

Here are the maps for this year's corn patches. (I actually meant to respond right away but I went out to measure because I was pretty sure that narrow VGB bed wasn't quite 24 inches -- it turned out to be 20 inches.... But it was so nice outside after a brief shower we had, and still early enough that mosquitoes are rare -- though they did find me -- and I ended up puttering around for about an hour.... )

So the narrow VGB where the inter planted Marrowfat peas have been gaining ground and 4 ft x 4 ft VGA which is currently going full steam with the Asian greens and broccoli, shading the corn starts I planted... But with the upcoming sustained 80's/60's temps, I don't know how much longer the greens and peas will last and they would at the very least flag, while the corn will be loving the extra heat and should take off.



The SFH (Sunflowr House) proper and the Annex are separated by the dark brown path. I'm pretty sure SFH is 12 ft by 8 ft --

...yep here it is -- last time I grew corn there
Subject: NEW PROJECT! -- Extreme PETC : Cilantro, Peas, Fava, CORN...

Well, friends, I might be premature in posting this, but succeed or fail, I thought I'd share with you my this year's experiment.

Designated: Sunflower House. 8'x12' with 24" green wire fence to keep out rabbits
...expanded this year on the east end to accommodate TPS potato transplants. Adjacent to "Haybale Row" this year planted with three varieties of seed potatoes.
Crop succession : last year's Falstaff B. sprouts, leeks, carrots, and cilantro overwintered, some garlic, Egyptian walking onions, garlic chives, clover cover crop
>> early this spring self seeded cilantro, Red Russian kale, double rows of shelling peas and fava beans
>> mid spring 2" mini blocks and 6" pots of corn transplants between existing crops and along center and end rows reserved for the purpose, and some watermelon
>> late spring to be sown melons and runner/pole beans

View from NE corner:


View from East side:




View from South side:


View from West side:




View from NW corner:


- Snow peas on the arch trellis is rapidly finishing up >> melons and beans will be sown in the next few days
- Cilantro have been harvested with several remaining allowed to bolt along with overwintered carrots to attract beneficial insects and for seeds (these can be cut as deemed necessary to make growing room)
- Leeks and garlic have sent up scapes (planning to harvest leeks/thinking to cut off garlic scapes though I think these are elephant garlic)
- Egyptian onion mother plants are growing top sets and starting to fall over
- garlic chives are being harvested
- Shelling peas are being picked every day and when finished will be cut down as mulch
- Fava beans are podding but still small. Tried eating them as edible pods but was not sure if I liked it that way. How long for to mature beans I wonder? Already solidly shading the corn in the north row. I did put up another string at about 3ft height to hold up the favas and keep from leaning/towering over the corn after taking the pic.
- One most vigorous out of four B. sprouts plant was allowed to bloom and go to seed this spring for beneficial insects and for harvesting the seeds. They are almost mature and should be ready to shatter soon, certainy within the next week or so. Then the seed stalks will be cut and entire plant will be lopped at the soil level.
- Most of the corn appear to be doing fine. There are three varieties are planted in three blocks and East-most block of "Orange Squat" was planted first, followed by Howling Mob and then Double Red Sweet in the West-most block.

Two of the watermelon have sprouted, one growing true leaf.
(That carrot will have to go.... )


-- harvesting peas by reaching over the still short corn and between the favas from the north side path:

[lakngulf]

I pack the corn in wherever I can find a spot. Here you can see three different areas of corn in among the tomatoes.



Thank goodness at my Mom's house we have plenty of room to spread it out.



There I go thru the normal process of till, create furrow, drop fertilizer and corn, cover about 1-2 inch, and pack.
For my early corn at home I start the seed in the greenhouse and transplant at about 3 inches tall. Has worked great for early corn, as I have difficulty getting the seed to germinate early in the garden

[rainbowgardener]

Where in TN are you,

30 miles south of Nashville a town called Murfreesboro TN.

interesting. You are about 100 miles north-east of me and actually lower elevation (by about 50' neither of us has enough elevation to write home about) -- odd that your weather should be so different.

[jal_ut]

Corn is a large plant so it needs some space. It also benefits to have company so it gets fertilized. I always say plant a corn patch. By this I mean a 12 foot by 12 foot area and put 4 rows of corn with plants spaced 8 inches to a foot apart in the rows. If you have a larger area you can make longer rows, but always plant at least 3 rows. Rows spaced 30 inches. Some nitrogen fertilizer is good too.

[applestar]

When I planted corn in the Spiral Garden, I basically followed the spacing your advised jal_ut, and it was a resounding success with fully pollinated cobs that did not require my help. I did plant other things with the corn, though -- I couldn't help it.

Subject: 2014 Spiral Garden Garlic Onion Pea Corn Squash Cuke Beet

Hey, I haven't posted a view from my favorite window lately

The corn was starting to yellow from the bottom up. I'd read that this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency so I mixed alfalfa pellets and bran 1:1 and soaked in rainwater with a bit of molasses with a scoop of organic potting mix, dolomitic lime and home made compost to add some good microbes. Then diluted and soil drenched. I did this twice over the last week and I'm seeing the corn greening up darker now, though there are some yellowing Ieaves still. We finally had a good soaking rain too, breaking the drought so that must have helped, too.

[rainbowgardener]

so lakngulf, sounds like you have experience doing it both ways-- "packed in" and properly spaced. How did that work? Did your packed in corn plants produce as well as the properly spaced ones?

[SLC]

Yup, I have a 4' x 4' bed with 16 corn plants in it. I haven't grown corn for years, and never this way. So we will just see what happens. It is making tassels now! (YAY!!). If jal-ut is right and some of the plants don't make ears, I still have time to thin out the two more blocks of corn I planted in succession (one set is about six inches high now and the last one is just showing above the ground). I haven't fertilized per se, but it is in very rich soil, growing like crazy and I just gave it its third dose of aerated compost tea.

Rainbow - that is exactly how I plant my corn and I have had much success! I have a small (10' x 30') raised bed garden, so there is only so much room to plant and I want to put a lot of stuff in there, so I have to make do. I think what helps is that the bed is raised 18 inches so the roots can go very deep. I plant the corn in blocks 9 inches apart all the way around. I do 4 blocks and plant a week or two apart from from each other, and the ones that don't germinate and have to be reseeded sometimes don't make it, but that's usually just 2 or 3 stalks. The rest grows great and the ears are full! I do also plant beans a foot from the corn in one long row so that might help too.

I think you will do just fine! Can't wait to find out!

[jal_ut]

I have always said, give each plant its own space and enough space and you will succeed. Sorry, I am not one to plant anything in the corn row except corn. You want corn? Plant 3 rows spaced 30 inches with plants 8 inches to 12 inches in the rows.

[Gary350]

Has anyone noticed yet you can no longer buy Ammonium Nitrate it has been outlawed thanks to terrorist, the price of Urea has dropped from $46 to $15 for a 50 lb bag. I want to plant corn again today but first I want to see the weather forecast. If it is going to rain and turn COLD AGAIN for the 4th time I will plant corn next week. What I am looking for is 5 warm days of full sun. I usually have corn planted by now but last summer I did not plant corn until 2nd week of June and deer ate it all 65 days later. I need to do something about deer this year maybe an 8 ft tall electric fence. It is cloudy and dark outside now looks like rain any minute.

[rainbowgardener]

"Can't wait to find out! " Me too!

We have heard you, James. What you do clearly works very well for you in your circumstances -- I have seen your pictures of the amazing abundance of food you produce!! And I have learned a lot from you over the years. You have seen me quote you!

But you need to understand that having a farm and growing fields of produce is different than having tiny little bits of ground. Most of us can't be farmers and don't have acreage. When your whole garden for growing everything is 300 or 400 sq ft., you have to do things differently. You have to do it differently and you CAN do it differently. We can baby our few hundred square feet, constantly enriching them with composts, compost teas, worm castings, etc etc, so that they can produce more.

The productivity I get from one 8x4 bed, if multiplied out to an acre would be astounding. But of course that hypothetical multiplied number is not real. If I had an acre, I couldn't get nearly that much from it, because I wouldn't be able to treat an acre the way I treat one raised bed. To each their own! I am looking forward to seeing how my tiny little 4x4 crowded with corn does!

[Gary350]

"Can't wait to find out! " Me too!

We have heard you, James. What you do clearly works very well for you in your circumstances -- I have seen your pictures of the amazing abundance of food you produce!! And I have learned a lot from you over the years. You have seen me quote you!

But you need to understand that having a farm and growing fields of produce is different than having tiny little bits of ground. Most of us can't be farmers and don't have acreage. When your whole garden for growing everything is 300 or 400 sq ft., you have to do things differently. You have to do it differently and you CAN do it differently. We can baby our few hundred square feet, constantly enriching them with composts, compost teas, worm castings, etc etc, so that they can produce more.

The productivity I get from one 8x4 bed, if multiplied out to an acre would be astounding. But of course that hypothetical multiplied number is not real. If I had an acre, I couldn't get nearly that much from it, because I wouldn't be able to treat an acre the way I treat one raised bed. To each their own! I am looking forward to seeing how my tiny little 4x4 crowded with corn does!

You are right most home gardens are too small for corn. I know from experience if you plant 240 corn seeds like farmers do, 32" row spacing, 6" seed spacing you will get very little corn the crop is too small to get good pollination. If you plant 240 corn seeds, 12" row spacing, 6" seed spacing you get very good pollination but root crowding and less sun per plant you get a good small crop. For many years I planted a 10'x10' crop of corn with 240 seeds the harvest was about 1 ear per plant where a 100 acre crop with 32" row spacing will produce 2 ears per plant and larger ears. James is doing it the correct way because he can, I would do it the correct way too if I had more garden space.

[rainbowgardener]

I would do it the "correct" way too, if I had a field to plant corn in. But reading through this thread, it seems like at least some people have had success crowding corn in small home garden plots. I am still waiting to see what happens! My corn continues to grow by leaps and bounds!

[applestar]

Are you going to hand pollinate? I'm getting better at it now.

I think Key is good access to all the plants along the outside edge. One year, I miscalculated and lost access to front edge of the corn patch from other things growing in the way, and I couldn't stand close enough to bend and collect the pollen from their tassels, and couldn't reach in to pollinate the silks.

Ones in the middle shouldn't have problems since they are surrounded ASLONG AS you don't grow stuff that climb the corn and block the shed pollen from reaching the silks.

THAT happened when I didn't know better and planted over-enthusiastic/aggressively climbing pole beans on the corn and when I allowed volunteer Matts Wild Cherry to climb all through the corn patch. Vigorous pumpkin/winter squash vines will also try to climb up corn stalks and block pollination, so keep an eye on them and re-direct the vines as necessary.

[rainbowgardener]

Thanks for the tip! Very relevant since this is a three sisters bed with pole beans and a squash plant. It should be OK though, because the corn is very big and the beans are small, just like 3" high or so, and the squash is just getting started. By the time the beans and squash are big, the corn may be done.

[Gary350]

When I was in grade school my grandfather use to have me plant pole beans in the corn rows about 2 or 3 weeks before the corn was ready to harvest. We carefully harvested the corn ears being careful not to damage any corn stalks. Corn stocks were ready made bean poles. We use to break off the corn stalk leaves so the beans had plenty of sun light. Grandmother was getting old her back hurt too much to pick bush beans, pole beans were easier on her back., Grandfather was getting old too he did not have to go into the forest to cut bean poles. I should probably try this sometime my back hurts me all the time.

[jal_ut]

Best to plant a corn patch. Make it 12 feet by 12 feet. Four rows of corn with plants spaced 8 to 10 inches in the rows. Now you will have some corn.

Beans? Try bush beans. When ready for pickin, just pull them, toss them in the wheel barrow, and go sit in the shade and pick beans.

Deer problems? Try makin Jerky.

[rainbowgardener]

Jeez, James! I do not have 12 x 12 that I am willing to turn into a corn patch! I don't believe that means I can't grow corn. We have had people write in here who have successfully grown corn in containers.

Here's one with pictures:
I fit 11 corn stalks per 30 gallon SIP tote:



https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 17#p349017

Maybe I am wrong, which will be determined in a few more weeks, but there is more than one way to skin a cat. What you keep telling us is is right for you and for people like you who have plenty of room. I am not yet believing that the rest of us can't grow corn.

[jal_ut]

So have at it, and best of luck.

Maybe I don't belong here? I guess I am a farmer not a gardener.....................

[rainbowgardener]

You belong here and you have taught us (including me) a lot! And inspired us with your beautiful pictures of mountains and abundant harvest (even in such a short season)

I was just trying to suggest that maybe you could be a little more open to the idea that some of us without your advantages have to and can do things differently.

I expect all family farmers (not necessarily the giant corporation agribusiness types) are gardeners. But not all gardeners are or can be farmers.

[applestar]

Hear hear!

You are showing us how these plants can grow to their potential, James. And then we are able to compare and measure our efforts against those examples. Thank you so much for sharing your garden with us.

[RadRob]

It really comes down to what works for you and your situation but the row space testing has been going on for years. This guy explains it really well https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgriLjxaVlg

[Gary350]

I keep tilling my garden larger and larger every week it is now 33' x 59'. I have always wanted to try what James is doing and plant a patch of corn then wait about 3 weeks and plant another corn patch. I know corn does poor in small crops so I was always afraid to try that. My garden is now wide enough to plant 4 rows of corn 32" apart 2 spots 12' long each.

[RadRob]

I planted 5 33' rows, the row bed width is 18" and I double planted the row with about 8" between the double rows in each row bed and the rows are about 35" apart. That gives them plenty of room and I doubled the yield.

I should've just planted 2, wait a few weeks and planted 2 more to spread out the harvest.

[rainbowgardener]

Just something I found interesting. My little stand of corn was all leaning over pretty severely. It is almost always breezy here and the corn was leaning with the prevailing winds (and toward the most direct sun). I tried straightening it up a few times, packing dirt around the base, but in a day or so it would be leaning over again, so I gave up. But then the corn grew itself prop roots and straightened itself up! Magic!

[MichaelC]

...when I allowed volunteer Matts Wild Cherry to climb all through the corn patch...

Those MWC fruits are really easy to drop unnoticed when picking them, aren't they? I've got my own volunteer this year, in a fairly convenient location. I'm planning on letting it grow au naturel to see what happens.

[jal_ut]

Two or three short rows of corn is better than one long row. It gets pollinated better when there is a "patch". I also know that if corn is too crowded the inner stalks will not have any ears. It needs some space to gather sunlight, but also needs company for the pollination.

A 4 foot by 4 foot corn patch? I wonder if 16 plants in that much space would work? I guess its worth trying?