growing corn

I also harvested a couple of ears today. Unfortunately when I kept peeking, I was only looking at the top which didn't get pollinated, and I thought the corn just hadn't finished filling out yet. Turns out it was ready a while ago. It wasn't sweet and was very sticky on the teeth which I understand means it is past its prime. But I grilled it up and it was still enjoyable nonetheless!

sanderson wrote:Picked 4 ears of Silver Queen with a total of 7 plump kernels.    Next year I will have a support frame in place so the tassels won't be on the ground.

I had one ear so far, but it only had a few kernels. Next year I'll plant twice as much and hopefully get much better pollination.

I have absolutely beautiful stalks.   Not a single ear to be seen.
If I do corn again next year, I may have to hand pollinate.

When doing the Three Sisters, plant the corn and squash at the same time.
Also make sure you have proper pole beans, then plant extra beans elsewhere.

One of the things you have to remember is that corn is wind pollinated so they need to be in blocks to counter shifting wind patterns. I always figured the minimum for corn was nine hills in a 3 X 3 grid on 3' centers. Single rows don't work because most of the pollen misses a target.

Abiqua Ike wrote:One of the things you have to remember is that corn is wind pollinated so they need to be in blocks to counter shifting wind patterns. I always figured the minimum for corn was nine hills in a 3 X 3 grid on 3' centers. Single rows don't work because most of the pollen misses a target

Mine's growing in a 3x4 plot and just ain't working so far.  I thought about hand pollinating, but I decided to let it do it's thing naturally.  I see now that I shouldn't have allowed that to happen.

Live and learn.

If that is a 3' X 4' plot, it is probably too tight and the pollen is missing the target (the silk in the leaf axil). What I suggest is a 9' X 9' plot. And you can do things in between like the Three Sisters.

What's wrong with my corn? It was planted on top of the ground, in aged horse manure, surrounded by aged wood chips. It started out great, then just stopped growing. There are a few puny ears forming, but everything has slowed to a crawl. Here's what it looked like a month ago.



Here's what it looks like now.

This morning I put a handful of homemade compost at the base of each plant. If that's the right idea, but insufficient, I can do it again tomorrow and the next day. I have some organic fertilizer, but I think I read somewhere that it's too late for that. Maybe it's already too late for anything at all.  Help!

Suz, You should be picking any ears formed. Corn doesn't do a second growth after it tassles. What variety did you plant? With your heat it wouldn't be a surprise if it finished earlier than its stated days to harvest.

Turan wrote:Suz, You should be picking any ears formed.  Corn doesn't do a second growth after it tassles.  What variety did you plant? With your heat it wouldn't be a surprise if it finished earlier than its stated days to harvest.

The variety is Early Xtra Sweet hybrid. It says 71 days til harvest. Planted around the middle of May. It's already past its time and only about 4 plants have ears and those aren't fully formed. It just seems to have stopped dead.

It is past time to pull it out then and add it to the mulch. Corn stops growing soon after flowering. THe stalling that you see is the natural curve of its life cycle. You have the long season to add compost/manure and replant for a second crop.

Turan wrote:It is past time to pull it out then and add it to the mulch.  Corn stops growing soon after flowering.  THe stalling that you see is the natural curve of its life cycle. You have the long season to add compost/manure and replant for a second crop.  

Oh my goodness - you're right. I could actually replant corn and get it in this year. I was going to plant limas next to the corn stalks. Now I have to actually think and make a decision. AARRGGHH!!!!!

countrynaturals wrote:

Turan wrote:It is past time to pull it out then and add it to the mulch.  Corn stops growing soon after flowering.  THe stalling that you see is the natural curve of its life cycle. You have the long season to add compost/manure and replant for a second crop.  

Oh my goodness - you're right. I could actually replant corn and get it in this year. I was going to plant limas next to the corn stalks. Now I have to actually think and make a decision. AARRGGHH!!!!!

Replanted seeds in Jiffy Pellets last night.

Suz, what about cutting off the stalks and direct seeding in between them? No need to start in Jiffy Pellets, just direct sow in this heat.

Is there such a thing as "too hot" to grow corn?  Mine was doing quite well while I was in the hospital and after-care (three weeks), but growth halted.  Also, tassels are producing seed, but I don't yet see any evidence of baby corncobs.

There WERE a couple of gigantic geysers from my drip irrigation system that may have interfered with pollen distribution.

It's a 4' x 4', planted four per square foot.

Unfortunately my corn did not do well this year. 
On about 32+ plants I only  got 3 ears (and I have no idea yet if I got any actual corn).

Is it too early to cut down the unproductive stalks?

I'm thinking about using those squares for garlic and the sooner they're in the ground the better for me, I think.

SwampTroll wrote:Unfortunately my corn did not do well this year. 
On about 32+ plants I only  got 3 ears (and I have no idea yet if I got any actual corn).

Is it too early to cut down the unproductive stalks?

I'm thinking about using those squares for garlic and the sooner they're in the ground the better for me, I think.

Mine failed, too. Our season is long enough that I was able to replant, but only about half of those sprouted and the ones that made it this far don't seem very happy, so I am not optimistic.

countrynaturals wrote:

SwampTroll wrote:Unfortunately my corn did not do well this year. 
On about 32+ plants I only  got 3 ears (and I have no idea yet if I got any actual corn).

Is it too early to cut down the unproductive stalks?

I'm thinking about using those squares for garlic and the sooner they're in the ground the better for me, I think.

Mine failed, too. Our season is long enough that I was able to replant, but only about half of those sprouted and the ones that made it this far don't seem very happy, so I am not optimistic.

My 2 plants failed. Tassels at the tops but no cobs formed.

I just harvested my most mature but small ear of corn.  It appears to be filled out fairly well.  Will probably serve it along with some zucchini, garlic potatoes, and chicken for dinner.

CapeCoddess wrote:

countrynaturals wrote:

SwampTroll wrote:Unfortunately my corn did not do well this year. 
On about 32+ plants I only  got 3 ears (and I have no idea yet if I got any actual corn).

Is it too early to cut down the unproductive stalks?

I'm thinking about using those squares for garlic and the sooner they're in the ground the better for me, I think.

Mine failed, too. Our season is long enough that I was able to replant, but only about half of those sprouted and the ones that made it this far don't seem very happy, so I am not optimistic.

My 2 plants failed.  Tassels at the tops but no cobs formed.

Only 2 plants?  That could be the reason.  As they are wind pollinated, with only two you would have had to hand pollinate to get any.  I understand that it works better if you have more close together.

I Finished picking my corn for fresh eating.  I had 80 plants in 24 squares of a 3x8 bed.  I planted the outer squares at 4/sq and the inner squares at 2/sq.  Most of the seed was Hooker's but I put a few Painted Mountain up the center.  Painted Mountain is a flour corn and I have been selecting for it in my garden for a few years now, so it does well here.  Hooker's is an old fashioned sweet corn.  I want to select for an eventual stable cross between the two.  My DH loves the green picked Painted Mountain, but I would like a tad sweeter.  Hooker's is not as vigorous here but has a good corny taste (DH dislikes modern super sweet corn).  Painted Mountain has to be picked on that one perfect day or it is starchy and Hooker's has a wider window of perfect green corn eating, and it makes a fine cornbread flour.  Obviously this is one of my experiments this year.
I got 8 Painted Mountain cobs, they are the long thin ones with good pollination.  There were about 30 Hooker's with various amounts of pollination and a handful of cobs were not pollinated.  I left 6 of the nicest Hooker cobs to mature and be next years seed.  I assume when I hull those ears I will find a variety of kernel sizes to do with the crossing.  

These are about 30 days from direct sow. They are in squares directly next to determinate tomatoes, near two squares of cucumbers which are growing very large and quick in nearby squares.  I have 4 squares planted, so the recommended 16 total plants. Are there any hope for these?

Any suggestions for how I should proceed?
Note: that's 7 dust on them.  I'm having a problem with pests ( at least that's what I think it is) on my Pepper plants.

brianj, if you scroll up the page you will see an illustration of the growth of corn. Your plants look to be at the end of the establishment phase and entering the vegetative stage, and right on time. This is a good time to give them a nutrient boost with a compost and/or blood meal side dressing, corn is a heavy feeder. It is looking good.

Turan wrote:brianj, if you scroll up the page you will see an illustration of the growth of corn.  Your plants look to be at the end of the establishment phase and entering the vegetative stage, and right on time.  This is a good time to give them a nutrient boost with a compost and/or blood meal side dressing, corn is a heavy feeder.  It is looking good.

Thank you.  I was worried that they were going to be way to crowed.  It seems like they are being more and more shaded from the sun each day at certain times of the day.  What exactly is bloodmeal and where would you recommend purchasing it?  I have seen you guys refer to it a lot, but I'm not familiar with it. If I were going to top it with compost, do you have any recommendations for type? Does it need to be different  than what is already in my mix?

Crowding might well be an issue, but it is well worth the try. Prune/ fence/ trellis the cukes and tomats to stay out of the corn's spot. Force them to spill in other directions

Seeing as plants in your MM are doing well (so we know it is a good compost mix) go ahead and top dress with that. Blood meal is just that, dried blood from butchering, it is available at most all garden nurseries as an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen.