Corn's up, now what do I do?

Laminarman · Jun 7, 2007

The corn is up, four to five inches. It's been dry, and it's about a week behind. Some weeds coming along nicely as well (too nicely as a matter of fact). I didn't broadcast any triple 15 or such before planting as I planned to, but the soil isn't bad as I turned under winter rye earlier in the year, pH is about 6.5 to 7.0. Should I broadcast a general fertilizer or go with a broadcast of urea? I don't have the capability of side dressing, and it's about an acre. I want to get the corn up high quickly to shade the weeds if possible. Last year it never took off, the weeds suffocated it. When I fertilized with triple 15 the weeds exploded! This year I sprayed Roundup later to kill, but obviously some seeds were still sitting in the soil ungerminated. Thanks.

mjarrels · Jun 7, 2007

Build a scare crow! Heckle and Jeckle will tear that corn up!

mark

Laminarman · Jun 7, 2007

I watched a rabbit walk down the rows eating one after the other. Rather, he was hopping, but seemed very happy! Until I shoo'd him off of course.

deerhunterf350 · Jun 7, 2007

I would not broadcast Urea, I have seen where a few grains of 34% urea were dropped in the crown of the Corn plant, while sidedressing . A few days later it looked like the plant had been shot with #2 shot from a shotgun, burnt holes right through the stalk. The plant did not fair to well and fell behind others that hadn't been burnt.

OldMcDonald · Jun 7, 2007

Now remember I am not one of you boys from the USofA, but I grow corn and so do a lot of other people in different parts of the world.

If you do a Google or other search you will come up with a lot of info, particularly from the Ag Depts of US Universities, which are extremely good sources of info for those of us elsewhere in the world, that tells you corn needs, and uses a lot of Nitrogen a few weeks after seeding if it is to perform well. Urea is not a good choice unless you have the capability of putting it under the ground - it matters not whether you are talking liquid or prills. Buy another straight N fertiliser (basically as much as you can afford, or want to spend) and broadcast it. NOW!! Your corn will be a lot better, and you will spend less money than applying P & K also. The time to put P &K on is pre-planting, and then cultivate it in as deep as you possibly can - but only if your soil needs P&K. Old McDonald.

WayneB · Jun 8, 2007

Laminarman said:
The corn is up, four to five inches. It's been dry, and it's about a week behind. Some weeds coming along nicely as well (too nicely as a matter of fact). I didn't broadcast any triple 15 or such before planting as I planned to, but the soil isn't bad as I turned under winter rye earlier in the year, pH is about 6.5 to 7.0. Should I broadcast a general fertilizer or go with a broadcast of urea? I don't have the capability of side dressing, and it's about an acre. I want to get the corn up high quickly to shade the weeds if possible. Last year it never took off, the weeds suffocated it. When I fertilized with triple 15 the weeds exploded! This year I sprayed Roundup later to kill, but obviously some seeds were still sitting in the soil ungerminated. Thanks.

I don't grow an acre of corn, but have a good size area dedicated to corn. I believe you have to get in there and cultivate to cut down the weeds and once the corn is about a foot high I always try to get out there and hill up against the corn stocks. If you catch the weeds when they are young it is much easier to dig them up, expose the roots and they will die before going to seed.

I am sure Roundup will kill weeds, but if you work the land and pull the weeds you will find over time there are less weeds and you can manage them without spraying chemical killers.

Okay so I grow organic and try to work with controlling weeds and bugs and it does take a scheduled weeding program to get ahead of them regardless of what you are growing. Even if you only do one row at a time you will gain on them.

Just my two cents!

Wayne