Ok guys, as most of you know this is my first year having a garden. My corn plants are about 18-24 inches tall currently. I have not fertilized them any other than applying very little miracle grow one time 3 weeks ago.
I was just wanting to get some advice on applying fertilizer to my corn? I have organic blood meal and have thought about using that but I wasn't sure whether or not to do that?
Can you please give me some input on what to use as fertilize and when to fertilize it? My corn is looking great right now and I just want to make sure it continues to do great.
Also, let me mention that I have access to fresh compost but I didnt know if I should put this around the base of the corn plants or not?
Although I am not a corn expert, I do know that corn LOVES fish.
In fact, I once learned, Aboriginal Canadians dug dead fish heads from the fish they caught into the soil of the corn plant. From what I've read, it was about 2 fish heads per plant, once or twice.
Let's be honest- the idea of using raw fish on our garden is gross right
? So what I do is I add fish emulsion to my corn. It is so, so amazing!! Although it smells a bit, it works very well...once I fed my corn fish emulsion, they started growing twice as fast as before.
In fact, I once learned, Aboriginal Canadians dug dead fish heads from the fish they caught into the soil of the corn plant. From what I've read, it was about 2 fish heads per plant, once or twice.
Let's be honest- the idea of using raw fish on our garden is gross right
? So what I do is I add fish emulsion to my corn. It is so, so amazing!! Although it smells a bit, it works very well...once I fed my corn fish emulsion, they started growing twice as fast as before.I mix roughly one tablespoon of fish emulsion to about 4 liters of water. This is very approximate, as sometimes I add more and sometimes less, and it works great anyway.
About once a month, I water my corn with this diluted fish emulsion from a wateing can and then do it again next month.
I use a 20 litre watering can per plant, so that means 5 tablespoons of fish emulsion per watering can.
I water the soil right beneath the corn plant.
I don't fertilize my corn with anything else other than composted manure mixed in with the soil before I planted the corn into the ground.
Although this year was the first year I've grown corn and used this great fertilizer, I'm sure that Fish Emulsion is great when it comes to corn.
About once a month, I water my corn with this diluted fish emulsion from a wateing can and then do it again next month.
I use a 20 litre watering can per plant, so that means 5 tablespoons of fish emulsion per watering can.
I water the soil right beneath the corn plant.
I don't fertilize my corn with anything else other than composted manure mixed in with the soil before I planted the corn into the ground.
Although this year was the first year I've grown corn and used this great fertilizer, I'm sure that Fish Emulsion is great when it comes to corn.
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applestar
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Last year I used Dr. Earth all-purpose 4-4-4 and alfalfa pellets. This year, I found a big bag Chickety Do Do at local agway 5-3-2.5 +calcium. So I'm trying that. Both last year and this year, I interplanted -- started by planting widely spaced -- peas (also fava beans last year). And when peas finish up and get pulled, the vines are used as mulch while roots break down and release any leftover stored nitrogen from rhizobium nodules.
I intend to give them next feeding with Espoma Garden-tone 3-4-4. But I tend to underfertilize and am kind or working up to feeding them more while trying different things that are organic.
My corn patches are small -- even tiny -- though, not the same as big plots.
I intend to give them next feeding with Espoma Garden-tone 3-4-4. But I tend to underfertilize and am kind or working up to feeding them more while trying different things that are organic.
My corn patches are small -- even tiny -- though, not the same as big plots.
Blood meal is a rich source of organic nitrogen, but like most organic sources timing of application is important.
Manures applied in the fall can supply most of the nitrogen needed for the corn if you have an established organic garden. Manures will probably exceed the demand of phosphorus that is required by corn.
Corn benefits from side dressings of available nitrogen during its period of rapid growth between 6-12 weeks of age, roughly from knee high to tasseling. Banding with a quick release nitrogen source like urea or sulfate of ammonia will provide a ready supply. The amount needed would depend on your soil test and the residual nitrogen that is already in the soil.
Blood meal is one of the quicker releasing organic fertilizers but most of it still needs to be converted into a form readily available to plants. Blood meal will continue to release over 6-8 weeks but takes about 2 weeks to get going.
If you use fish emulsion or urea( urine) , they are the most readily available forms of nitrogen but very short acting and have to be reapplied every couple of weeks during the growht phase. Urea can burn plants.
So if using blood meal you want to apply it as a side dressing for the corn when the corn is about 4 weeks old so the nitrogen will be available when the corn is in peak growth from 6-12 weeks of age.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/955
https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/ag ... on-timing/
https://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/pubs/A3340.pdf
Manures applied in the fall can supply most of the nitrogen needed for the corn if you have an established organic garden. Manures will probably exceed the demand of phosphorus that is required by corn.
Corn benefits from side dressings of available nitrogen during its period of rapid growth between 6-12 weeks of age, roughly from knee high to tasseling. Banding with a quick release nitrogen source like urea or sulfate of ammonia will provide a ready supply. The amount needed would depend on your soil test and the residual nitrogen that is already in the soil.
Blood meal is one of the quicker releasing organic fertilizers but most of it still needs to be converted into a form readily available to plants. Blood meal will continue to release over 6-8 weeks but takes about 2 weeks to get going.
If you use fish emulsion or urea( urine) , they are the most readily available forms of nitrogen but very short acting and have to be reapplied every couple of weeks during the growht phase. Urea can burn plants.
So if using blood meal you want to apply it as a side dressing for the corn when the corn is about 4 weeks old so the nitrogen will be available when the corn is in peak growth from 6-12 weeks of age.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/955
https://www.pioneer.com/home/site/us/ag ... on-timing/
https://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/pubs/A3340.pdf
Nitrogen in organics is harder because there are very few pure organic fertilizers. they usually contain some phosphorus and usually N applications are limited by the total P requirement. Blood meal is mostly Nitrogen 15-0-0 which is 15 lbs of Nitrogen in 100 lbs of fertilizer. The total nitrogen requirement for corn is 40 lbs per acre.
40/43560 = 0.0009 lbs per square foot total nitrogen requirement for corn
Usually side dressing is 1/3 of the total requirement
If you want to go through the calculations this is the link
https://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/233.html
Nitrogen side dressings are usually banded. Nitrogen volatizes faster on the surface and s exposed to it is better covered up about 4-6 inches from the roots. Read the package on blood meal it will usually have application rates to help you out or you can do about 3 cups of blood meal for a 25 ft row.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cz7vmX4pOw
40/43560 = 0.0009 lbs per square foot total nitrogen requirement for corn
Usually side dressing is 1/3 of the total requirement
If you want to go through the calculations this is the link
https://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/233.html
Nitrogen side dressings are usually banded. Nitrogen volatizes faster on the surface and s exposed to it is better covered up about 4-6 inches from the roots. Read the package on blood meal it will usually have application rates to help you out or you can do about 3 cups of blood meal for a 25 ft row.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cz7vmX4pOw
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Gary350
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I mix 1 pint of 15-15-15 with 1 pint of urea then sprinkle it on the corn rows once a week, not too much. Then water it just enough to make it go into the soil. So far I can not tell it helps so maybe I need to use more. What ever you decide to do it is basically a learning process to see what works best for you. Corn loves nitrogen, water, full sun, 85 degree weather and does not pollinate well as a small crop.
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rainbowgardener
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re: I mix 1 pint of 15-15-15 with 1 pint of urea then sprinkle it on the corn rows once a week, not too much. Then water it just enough to make it go into the soil. So far I can not tell it helps so maybe I need to use more.
If it is not making much difference, that is a sign that there is already all the N the plants can use available. I never heard of anyone fertilizing veggies once a week. The only people that fertilize anything once a week are the bonsai folks who are growing trees in gravel.
You can give your plants optimum condition to achieve their best potential. You can't force them to go beyond what they are genetically programmed for. Relax! You don't have to work so hard!
If it is not making much difference, that is a sign that there is already all the N the plants can use available. I never heard of anyone fertilizing veggies once a week. The only people that fertilize anything once a week are the bonsai folks who are growing trees in gravel.
You can give your plants optimum condition to achieve their best potential. You can't force them to go beyond what they are genetically programmed for. Relax! You don't have to work so hard!