how much corn per SFG square?

NOTE: Please don't derail this thread by debating about the three sister's method; whether it will affect how much is planted per square. This is preemptive.

Sorry about the weird spacing with the excerpt from the thread, but all I did was copy and paste it from the thread.

The book says that you plant one corn plant per SFG square; however I found a thread that says you plant 4 corn plants per SFG square.

I'd like to know how many corn plants you can plant per SFG square just planting the corn alone, NOT using the three sister's method.

Apparently originally Mel thought you could only plant 1 corn plant per SFG; however later he found out that you could plant 4 per square.

In the newer addition of his book, he never corrected the spacing guidelines for how much corn to plant per square, and the 1 corn plant per SFG in the newer book was a typo that was never corrected.

So which is it? I could really use clarification regarding this please. Here is an excerpt from the thread that states it......

the correction for the SFG squares is apparently straight from Mel
himself

I was just taking a peak at the SFG forum
as it was mentioned on another forum.

Here is the link to thread for reference:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/sqfoot/msg0119311810939.html

I have got a little bit of
corn growing right now and I agree with Username 5- I have it spaced 1
per 1 foot.

HOWEVER, I just found an article that Mel did for
Organic Gardening (Feb. 1996). Totally forgot about this article
entitled 10 NEW SFG TIPS until I dug it out to use as reference. Number
one thing mentioned is he changed the spacing on corn. He has 4 seeds
in one square foot. He says you get 64 ears of corn in 4 square foot.
Also says "you can up that harvest to an astonishig 128 ears if you
choose Early Sunglow, which bears two ears per stalk."

He also relates how to build a portable wire cage to place over them to
protect from critters.

In my book, All New Square Foot Gardening on page 205, it says 4 per square. Are you using the new book? the green one? I planted 4 per square last year, it did just fine.

I'm confused; yes I'm using the revised edition, the green book.

I looked on page 205, and it said 'dusty miller' not corn.

I also looked it up in the index, and it referred me to a chart with all the veggies that can be grown in an SFG box. With the corn it said '1' per SFG square, not 4.

I cannot speak to the corn issue sorry, but I can speak to the page number confusion.
It seems that there are a few printings and versions of the ANSFG book that the publisher put out. The 'complete' version and an abridged version that ended up in places like 'Dollar' stores and was missing a bunch of stuff. I believe the full version, the first printing if the revised edition printed in 2006 has 271 numbered pages.
maybe someone else knows more about this than I do.

Oops! I forgot to add that in my book on page 205 is corn 4/sq.ft.

Feisty, you can go to the Search area and see previous threads on corn. Here's one Growing Corn and below I've copied & pasted what I wrote at that time:

Instead what I have done in the past is dedicate a whole 2 x 2 box to
corn. It's a little confusing so I hope this makes sense. You can
plant 4 corn plants per square foot.

The first week I plant the back row of the 2 back squares (4 plants total which can produce 4-8 ears)
The second week I plant the front row of the 2 back squares.
The third week I plant the back row of the front squares.
The fourth week I plant the front row of the front squares.

The
reason for this is that each successive row can be used to more easily
pollinate the previous week's row. The very front row may or may not
pollinate well.

Which book? the old one? Someone borrowed mine and didn't return it. Thank You!


The book says that you plant one corn plant per SFG square; however I found a thread that says you plant 4 corn plants per SFG square.
"All New SFG" page 192 and 205, corn spacing, 4 per sq ft
I'd like to know how many corn plants you can plant per SFG square just planting the corn alone, NOT using the three sister's method.

I planted 'Silver Queen' I was late, and it still produced well. I planted 4 corn per square, and I planted 1 pole bean in the center of each square. My squash was in the next bed so I figured that was close enough. 128 ears per 4x8 bed, that's 1 ear per stalk.

Littlejo, based on what you said, I'm assuming you used the three sister's method in SFG? Can you show please show me a picture of how you set it up in your SFG?

When using three sister's in SFG is the use of vertical gardening structures (a trellis for example) still necessary?

Not to be rude, but I DID ask the question as to what type of squash you and beans you have to use for three sisters and you didn't answer it. This isn't meant to come off as rude, it's certainly not my intent, so sorry if it comes off that way.

When I say what type of squash and beans to use with three sisters, do you have to use the traditional varieties that have long vines (squash) or can you use the bush type squash? With beans, do you have to use pole with three sisters, or can it be bush type?

Also with three sisters does it have to be just squash or it can it can it be any type of curcubit (squash, melons, cucumbers, etc.)

The varieties of squash and melons I mean by 'bush' are those with a compact growth habit, and short vines.

You didn't answer-What book did you look in?

Feistywidget wrote:Littlejo, based on what you said, I'm assuming you used the three sister's method in SFG? Can you show please show me a picture of how you set it up in your SFG?
You are making it seem difficult, I don't have a photo. I did not start out 'using the 3 sister's method'

I planted a 4x8 bed 'marked into squares with twine' with Silver Queen corn, 4 per square ft. Sort of as an afterthought, I decided to plant beans in with the corn, Kentucky Wonder pole beans. In the next bed (2 ft isle only) was my zuchini Black Beauty and that is why I told you. I think the squash is bush type.
When using three sister's in SFG is the use of vertical gardening structures (a trellis for example) still necessary?

No, the corn was used as a trellis for the beans.

Not to be rude, but I DID ask the question as to what type of squash you and beans you have to use for three sisters and you didn't answer it. This isn't meant to come off as rude, it's certainly not my intent, so sorry if it comes off that way.

I hate to say anything, but since you brought it up, you don't seem to be very nice with your questions. I did not even answer the question about the 3 sisters, I was in your post for the corn.

This is just a forum, and I'm not required by law to answer any of your questions.
When I say what type of squash and beans to use with three sisters, do you have to use the traditional varieties that have long vines (squash) or can you use the bush type squash? With beans, do you have to use pole with three sisters, or can it be bush type?

Also with three sisters does it have to be just squash or it can it can it be any type of curcubit (squash, melons, cucumbers, etc.)
Just my opinion here. Back in the beginning of the USA, the Indians planted corn, they had no trellis, so they planted the beans close so they could climb on the corn. The deer would come, so, the indians planted the squash all around the corn/beans. The squash that they had was sort of fuzzy and the deer did not want to eat/get near it.


The varieties of squash and melons I mean by 'bush' are those with a compact growth habit, and short vines.

You can plant bush or vine, or whatever you want to, there are no rules. If it doesn't work, then you can change it the next year.



Sorry to you and all, if I was out of line in any way. Jo

Feistywidget wrote:Not to be rude, but I DID ask the question as to what type of squash you and beans you have to use for three sisters and you didn't answer it.

Feistywidget, this will be the last time you address a forum member like this. Looking at your pattern of participation here and on other forums, you have a habit of sucking energy without contributing back. That is not acceptable here. If my message is not clear to you, it would be best to move on now.

Feistywidget wrote:This isn't meant to come off as rude, it's certainly not my intent, so sorry if it comes off that way.

This isn't meant to come off as rude, it's certainly not my intent, so sorry if it comes off that way.

You will find Feisty, that over time if your pattern continues that people who once were very willing to jump in and help you in the beginning will not give your questions a second thought as time goes on.

People don't like continually giving their time to articulate heartfelt answers to be questioned ad nauseam after they had given the answers.

Our forum is a great group, all willing to jump in and help a struggling gardener, but even the best of us can get snarky when someone just wants to question to death and offer nothing in return.

Boffer is right you won't be able to continue to treat the forum in this manner.

Middlemamma
Admin

Three things about sfg corn.
1. You need to have enough to get good pollination. Hand pollinate. I use an empty cardbord box from 36 pk soda to catch the pollen. then shake over each ear silk. Corn needs to be planted in blocks, not rows.
2. You can't time planting it by too much or you won't get enough ready to pollinate at the same time to work.
3. I grew Mirai corn last year. Best I ever had. Ever. Be VERY careful not to grow super sweet and sweet corn or different types of corn together. You will find it takes on the bad characteristics of each strain. If you want two types, then you can space the time by at least two weeks - (be sure to account for maturity dates), but again, be sure to plant enough so it can pollinate.
That said, last year I planted a 3'x6' block with corn spaced 6'' apart from each other and it did fine.
This year I am trying the three sisters method, with 3 corn to a sf.

I think SFG is perfect for corn because each square IS a block. Four stalks together.

I have 3 boxes (48 SFG squares) devoted to Silver Queen Corn. I varied the spacing a bit in the boxes to see what happens. They have all sprouted fine that is all I can tell ya so far.

Now what I am wondering about is, will I have to feed the corn any at all? As a reformed row gardener, I am going to be so tempted to fertilize .

I don't know about what varieties are for cold weather, but a shorter season variety may work. Here is a site that sells all kinds. I'm trying some different varieties this yr.

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/seed_catalog.html

Bump

sfg4uKim wrote:Instead what I have done in the past is dedicate a whole 2 x 2 box to
corn. It's a little confusing so I hope this makes sense. You can
plant 4 corn plants per square foot.

The first week I plant the back row of the 2 back squares (4 plants total which can produce 4-8 ears)
The second week I plant the front row of the 2 back squares.
The third week I plant the back row of the front squares.
The fourth week I plant the front row of the front squares.

The
reason for this is that each successive row can be used to more easily
pollinate the previous week's row. The very front row may or may not
pollinate well.

I'm going to plant a whole 3 x 4 with corn and am just wondering should I go row by row in which case it will take 6 weeks to plant out the whole box or should I plant square by square which completes planting in 3 weeks. Any thoughts?

Summer of 2011 I planted a corn box 4x4 all at once. Personally, I want to make the most out of the available pollination. If there are too many ears ready at once (nice problem by the way) just blanch and freeze. Another thought - every seed may not germinate. A later planting can be crowded out by the taller stalks. It may stay stunted and unable to produce any ears as I found out. Lastly, I won't bother planting at all if the next door farmer is growing cow corn, it will cross pollinate sweet corn and make it starchy like theirs. My neighbor farmer grew corn this summer so I didn't plant. Next summer they rotate back to growing soybeans so I'll plant my sweet corn again. There is a picture of my box in the gallery. And the variety was called peaches and cream, delicious, could have eaten it right off the stalk without cooking.

Thanks, LM, now I'm not sure what to do!

Definately no problems with cross pollination here, I'm in the middle of suburbia and not too many people have vege patches.

Oops really sorry about that! Take the plunge and see what happens. Discovering what works is really good experience too, and afterwards you're in a postion to help others.

LM, I just re read my answer and I hope I didn't sound narky, I certainly didn't mean it that way. I really shouldn't type responses before 7am, my brain just doesn't function too well at that hour!

Mind you, not sure that typing at this hour is good either, since it's now after 11pm and the kids will wake me by 7am I really should go to bed.

Re the corn, I think I will give the succession planting a go. I'd prefer a more staggered crop so we'll see what happens.

ericam wrote:LM, I just re read my answer and I hope I didn't sound narky, I certainly didn't mean it that way. I really shouldn't type responses before 7am, my brain just doesn't function too well at that hour!

Mind you, not sure that typing at this hour is good either, since it's now after 11pm and the kids will wake me by 7am I really should go to bed.

Ericam, be assured you sound fine! At least you found a time you are assured of a coherent answer. I haven't found a clock that works for me

Lol, today I know the feeling! Really, really, really should have gone to bed earlier, I got woken not long after 6:30am by a 3yo climbing into bed.

And it could be a long day, I'm looking after the neighbour's kids today and I've got to get a quilt top assembled before tomorrow.