Best variety of corn for pacific northwest

[grsthegreat]

We here in North Idaho have a poorer growing season that the rest of the world...or so it seams.

Last year my corn only grew about 3-4 feet tall with small ears.

What varieties would anyone suggest for me to use. I can start them in a greenhouse.

I have a nice tall pile of manure from alfalfa fed donkey to help raise the Nitrogen level of the plot this spring.

[Smallplot]

Sounds like you didn't get enough nitrogen. with a corn crop you will need around 100# of nitrogen per acre. How much nitrogen did you put on last year? What kind? And did you incorporate it and how long after application?

As far as variety I can't help you there. Check with a local rep who deals in seed corn and they can point you to the right varieties.

One link I found my be beneficial to you also. It deals with Zinc in Idaho

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS1088.pdf

[bp fick]

If you considering starting in a greenhouse, are you asking about sweet corn?

If so, Johnny's Seeds and other seed houses have shorter season varieties. We are zone 4a to 4b, so I understand only having 90 days some years frost free. We have fairly warm days, with very long days in June and July, given our northern latitude, but we have cool nights. We are also very short on rainfall in June and July as well. None of which is ideal for corn.

Irrigation can supplement the large water needs of corn. But honestly, I've found nothing helps corn like rotted manure worked in two months before planting.

I had two 1/2 acre patches of sweet corn last year. One was organic, grown on manure and the other was on leased ground, no manure, but ample 12-12-12 pre-emergent followed by 46-0-0 side dress. Both received ample irrigation, but there was no comparison in result. The corn grown on manure was over 6' tall and had bumper yields. The other was very poor.

Corn will expose your soil weakness like little else.

[grsthegreat]

We did the nitrogen post emergence. Had no manure last year cause we feed straight grass hay and manure from grass hay just makes a grass growing monster of a food plot.

Ill be using some alfalfa manure courtesy of the donkey this year. Ill see what happens.

[bp fick]

Ain't it the truth. Horse manure can be full of grass/weed seed. Cows have more "stomach time" and there's less. But, chicken litter is my preferred manure.

Of course they say you can "cook" horse manure, get it hot, and it'll kill "most" of the weed/grass seed. I think it's hard to get them all.

[BrianDT]

If you have farmers near by, or know farmers that sell corm for corn burning furnaces, go there and buy thier corn. It will not be as clean or coated like seed corn, but it will grow the same. I buy corn from a local guy and its all roundup corn. Makes life real easy and grows just as well as seed corn, but at a fraction of the cost. $8 an acre compared to $150. I do go through it before I put it in my #71 planter to get out any cob pieces, but it works well.

If you do this, you will know you have some good corn, as the local farmers are using it.

[D7E]

If you have farmers near by, or know farmers that sell corm for corn burning furnaces, go there and buy thier corn. It will not be as clean or coated like seed corn, but it will grow the same. I buy corn from a local guy and its all roundup corn. Makes life real easy and grows just as well as seed corn, but at a fraction of the cost. $8 an acre compared to $150. I do go through it before I put it in my #71 planter to get out any cob pieces, but it works well.

If you do this, you will know you have some good corn, as the local farmers are using it.

be careful you dont get caught re-planting roundup crops !

[Car Doc]

I am in a good area for corn but I want to start planting as soon as the ground is not frozen and rather than wait till June dont know when you get to plant but thats us.

This year I am trying a short season sh2 sweet corn from Gurneys called Northern something or other (CRS) its supposed to germinate well in cold dirt and is 68 days so we will see...

As far as fert I use 13-13-13 till in lightly, I flood irrigate twice a day and side dress with 46-0-0 at 2' tall pretty much like BP does.

I use about 2 lbs per 100' row of each and use a Bayer bug spray all with good results, cow manure has caused me so much weed problems I am staying away.