Can I plant corn??

[N80]

Here's an update and a question:

I plowed a previously unplowed area about 30 yards by 5 yards right in the front of my cabin. Disked it real good. Planted 5 rows of silver queen about 1 foot apart. Put 2-3 kernels in each hole. Made the holes with a stick, which by they way, stinks. A real pain. If this experiment works, I'll get one of those little push planters or a single row planter for the tractor next year. Fertilized and added a little lime although pH was pretty close.

They have gotten rain and are now up about 5-6 inches. Deer have not bothered them yet.

So when do I cull the extra ones I put in each hole? They ALL came up.

I still suspect this experiment to be a colossal failure in the end but so far so good. Just have to get past droughts, deer, racoons and crows....and we got plenty of each!

I joked with my wife that once I culled the extras we'd still have about 150 plants. If each plant yields three ears we'll have 450 ears of delicious silver queen! In reality, if I can get 1/100 of that, say one meal's worth, I'll be pretty happy!

I'll keep you guys posted. I know the suspense is killing you.

 

[ray66v]

Pull the unwanted plants as soon as you can. Try not to disturb the roots of the ones you leave.

I recommend an Earthway seeder next year. Just push along, and let it do the work. And you won't have to thin them.

If you plant in 2 week intervals, you get a steady supply.

Check your nitrogen level if you have not already.

 

[N80]

Pull the unwanted plants as soon as you can. Try not to disturb the roots of the ones you leave.

Will do, thanks.

I recommend an Earthway seeder next year.

Looks like they cost about $90. That's a lot less than the 3pt hitch planter. I wonder how well it would do in my dirt which even after plowing and disking has a good many clods in it?

If you plant in 2 week intervals, you get a steady supply.

Good idea. I bought half a pound of seed and have more than half of that left. So I may put in another plot.

Check your nitrogen level if you have not already.

I did. Zilch. Nada. Barely registered. So I put a good bit in.

 

[tony123]

George, glad to see you got some in the ground!

I got some in as well. Much less though. I've got about 20 plants total in a small rectangle. Right now, they are about 5" or so.

Regardless of what happens, I think we both have the recipe for success.....low expectations!

 

[Oleozz]

We grown sweet corn commercially, not in a huge scale, but enough for two road side markets this year. Siver King is a big seller, it is an Se corn (sugar enhanced), is sweeter than the Queen, and retains its sugar longer. We will also raise Incredible (yellow) and Ambrosia (bicolor).
I do use a pre-emergence spray on some of the corn, atrazine and gromaxine. The atrazine prevents the weed from utilizing sunlight. Some of the herbicides you will need an applicators license for.
I use a two row model 71 JD planter. It is very forgiving and if you have the right plates you can also plant soybeans and certain vegetables.
Deer, coons, and groundhogs are all very destructive, and need to be controlled in some manner!! Good luck with your project.

 

[Texashayman]

As i agree with Oleuzz, "Siver King is a big seller, it is an Se corn (sugar enhanced), is sweeter than the Queen" i have only planted a acre of sweetcorn f(Silver King)or personal use..i have 420 acres of Pioneer 33J57 in..already 40" tall..We had quite a time last year with southwestern corn borers along with the corn earworm..Looks like this year will be a better year for us down in Texas! How is everyone elses crops doing this year?

 

[N80]

I am told that most of what is sold commercially as Silver Queen is not actual Silver Queen but varieties of the newer, sweeter corns like Silver King.

Apparently the sugar in real Silver Queen starts breaking down into start almost immediately making it less desirable as a market corn. This leads to the old addage that you need to pick Silver Queen and then cook it at the end of the row.

 

[ray66v]

If your nitrogen is depleted, it will take a lot to get it up to a high level.

I use 10-10-10 and 46-0-0 combined. Load her up and retest after a week or
so.

You really want this right, to get good healthy corn.

Dirt clods can be a result of working the ground when it is still wet.

 

[ray66v]

How is everyone elses crops doing this year?

Still in the bag!

Cold wet ground, cold air.

I really never try too hard to plant before Memorial day up here.

 

[ragkar]

The time to plant corn is when the oak tree leaves are as big as a squirrel's ears (Old Farmers Almanac)