Corn fertilizer

[joed2323]

My ambrosia sprouts are poking through the spoil and it dawned on ne that I did not throw any fertilizer down when I planted the seeds.

Question is, I have blood meal handy, should I sideel dress the corn with this or should I go get something with more nitrogen?

Or should I just wait till the corn is a foot tall or so?

[Lindsaylew82]

Blood meal is very high nitrogen. I would side dress with that! And just water it in well.

[joed2323]

That's good to hear. I know some corn growers like to throw down a fertilzer mixture when planting the seeds.

I will definitely add some blood meal when I get home from work.

Can a person actually add too much blood meal as to burn the corn?

I know its high in nitrogen but its some what milder then some other nitrogen fertilizers on the market

[Lindsaylew82]

Yep you can overdo it. I would just follow package instructions.

Beware. It STANKS! (Which is worse than stinks.)

[Gary350]

I do not fertilize small plants very much until they are 10" to 12" tall. A 50 lb bag of Urea at Farm supply is $15 it will last me 5 to 7 years.

[joed2323]

Ahh, ive used blood meal before, call me weird, it wasn't too bad... Smells kinda like dead cow blood.

Ive used it before but when my corn in upper mi in great soil was just about at tassel height..

Out in western north dakota, I do not have that luxury of fertile ground, only thing in the ground thats worth anything is oil...

[jal_ut]

Corn is a heavy feeder and benefits from the addition of nitrogen. The blood meal will be good. Or you might look for something in a garden store with a high nitrogen content. I think Ammonium Sulfate is still available?

[joed2323]

James- ive used blood meal before. Do you think it has enough nitrogen for the ambrosia we grow?

Should I just apply the blood meal and see how my sprouts react?? And go look for something heavier with nitrogen level, blood meal is like 12% thats not much... Or am I wrong?

How often is too much with side dressing corn?? Should it only need to be applied twice? Once in early stage and when corn is beginning to tassel?

Nice to see high 80s when my sprots poked through, they are a few inches taller easily within a day or two... Happy dance....

Gotta remember the ground in western north dakota is good for growing rocks and crude oil... Sometimes the garden loves a boost from some good ol blood meal or something a little more heavy

[imafan26]

Blood meal is relatively fast for an organic fertilizer but still requires a healthy soil population to convert it to a form that is useable for the plants.

I use preplant fertilzer because I don't always side dress. Some people do skip the starter and just side dress. You have to do the side dressing at the right time so the nitrogen is available between the time that the corn is thigh high and tasseling. It is the time when the corn makes the most growth. If your soil is less than ideal. Urea or sulfate of ammonia would deliver available nitrogen.