CORN sweet vs field, seed spacing, row spacing, NPK ?

[gary350]

WHAT do you feed your sweet corn plants? What is your seed spacing? What is your row spacing?

There is too much BS fake scam information online what is true? I finally found some FFA video with a small amount of good information but no details. Root details are interesting watch the video.

FFA high school class and college biology class, we learn corn is a grass it only needs nitrogen. Online info use to say corn needs nitrogen but now it claims corn needs equal amounts of NPK. There are many videos that only say, this is what we planted and this is what we harvested with NO details.

1 have 2 cousin in central Illinois that both plant 2000 acres of field corn every year, they both do, 32" row spacing, 5" speed spacing, N fertilizer the day seeds are planted, N fertilizer when plants are 3 ft tall, N fertilizer the day ears grow silks. Corn plants get hilled up same as potato plants stalks have several layers of roots. THIS is how I plant my garden G90 sweet corn is a 3 month crop. Sweet corn is 100% ripe for 1 day so test it every day when harvest time is near. Break open a few kernels if juice is clean its not ripe, when juice is white as milk corn is ready to harvest.

I assume everyone knows there is a different between sweet corn and super sweet corn. Sweet corn is a 90 day crop, super sweet is a 65 - 75 day crop. I live in TN harvest for 300 sweet corn will = 600 super sweet corn. 90 day corn is more productive than 65 day corn.

 

[yardiron]

Back in my early teens, in the mid 70's or so, my dad used to drop me off at a friends farm. In a way it was forced labor but to me it was fun back then.
They grew both sweet corn and green beans then and were just starting to get into soy beans.
The field was plowed and disked and sprayed with liquid mix of manure and I believe lime.

The corn went in as soon as the last frost was past. They'd drill the rows 2" deep 30" wide with about 8" spacing. (depended on the type too I think). The rows each got covered in clear plastic until night temps remained about 50°F. At that point the plastic would come off, and most plants then were over a foot tall. They'd stand up in about 5 days or so. At that point they brought it a liquid nitrogen truck and drill in the first shot of nitrogen.

Soon after, if the weather was warm enough they'd take off fast. As the growth spirt started they'd dust for bugs, and soon after they'd feed the plants with a row crop tractor distributing a granular 10-10-10 At that point they still low enough to drive over, but already starting to show signs of sprouting ears.
Then the first week in June, they got another shot of nitrogen but selectively to boost any underperforming areas. They got dusted again for bugs as the ears were developing.

They did well with corn for years but in later years they switched to solely corn for ethanol.. That was allowed to see more aggressive fertilizer and pesticide treatments and it got hit three times with nitrogen.

No one grows sweet corn here now, they all switched to 'fuel corn' and soy beans. Those that didn't sold out to developers who build McMansions.

The guy that I worked for back then passed away about six years ago, he farmed till the end in his 90's.
I'm pretty sure he sold off the development rights to the state so it should keep the place a farm but his kids have not farmed since the old man passed. They had several thousand acres on several properties. I can understand his kids not wanting to continue, they're all older than me, well into their 60's themselves and none were really involved in the farm for very long. The sad truth is that the land, if protected, won't even lease for enough to pay the taxes on the house these days. Chances are it'll get sold for next to nothing for that reason.


Sadly its what's happened to many farms around this area. I suppose they'd rather have million dollar cracker jack mansions than farms with tax breaks on all that land.

 

[gary350]

I finally found seed planting information google search last night, corn seeds should be planted 2" deep. In the past I always got low seed germination in my garden sometimes only 60%. This year I changed my seed spacing from 5" to 6" then added 1 extra row to continue to have 300 corn plants. This year I put 1" of mulch on each row to hold moisture and germination was 294 plants. Wider seed spacing might increase the harvest a few %.

My cousin that farm 2000 acres of corn every year said, change row spacing from 32" to 31" you harvest 5% more corn kernels because you have more plants but you loose 5% because crowding plants they get less sun light & root crowding. In the end +5-5=0 increase in harvest. More plants = more fertilizer 32" row spacing cost less to grow than 31" spacing. Same thing happens if you change row spacing from 32" to 33" harvest is smaller. Same thing happens if you change seed spacing from 5 to 4 or 5 to 6. As a home gardener I would like to have larger corn kernels not more plants. I also plant north south rows in my garden plants get full sun on both sides of the plants. East west rows north side of plants are in the shade all day.

I learned something new on Google search last night, corn meal we buy in the grocery store is field corn, not sweet corn.

 

[yardiron]

I wonder how they reason 6" spacing in any direction for fuel corn? Once its up you cannot walk into the field. They overspray with glyphosate and pesticide and start checking it for moisture content at 110 days or so. A combine harvests the field by 120 days.

I had looked into the property I mentioned and called a few guys over that way to see what was up and no one wants to plant there since its been worked over so hard for so long and repeatedly sprayed for non-food crops.
There's also some issue about the two anhydrous ammonia tanks on the property.

 

[Meadowlark]

There is too much BS fake scam information online what is true?

Agree, and some of the worst is applying commercial corn growing to backyard gardening.

Online info use to say corn needs nitrogen but now it claims corn needs equal amounts of NPK.

It has always depended on what is in your soil. If your soil is high in "P" and/or "K", you don't need to add it during the growing cycle.

If your soil is high in organic matter laden with legume plants nitrogen, you do not need to add nitrogen during the growing cycle. The organic material breaks down all during the growth cycle providing ample nitrogen to the backyard corn.

In decades of growing backyard corn, I never add anything during the growing cycle.

I assume everyone knows there is a different between sweet corn and super sweet corn.

Several members here including myself grow the Honey Select triplesweet, sugar enhanced variety. It has 75% sugary-enhanced kernels and 25% supersweet kernels making it the perfect combination of corn flavor and sweetness with exceptional sweetness, tenderness, and rich buttery flavor. Honey Select is also known for its great holding ability, meaning it stays fresh longer on the stalk.

... As a home gardener I would like to have larger corn kernels not more plants.

This home gardener grows corn for TASTE and without question the taste is best when consumed fresh. I have found we can enjoy fresh corn from the garden from June through August by stagger planting the seeds. Many days during the summer, corn on the cob is the primary table fare here. I look forward to it every summer.

The famous Colorado Olathe corn is good but fresh Honey Select is better. At 6 ears for a dollar around here in summer, I certainly do not grow it for $. Taste is supreme.

Here are my three plantings of Honey Select corn now starting with the first:

The second:

And the third:

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

That's basically the same way I grow @Meadowlark.
I always plant the ground that I'm going to plant corn next spring with clover and alafia. Plus, I always start my first planting where beans grew last year. Beans put a lot of nitrogen into the soil.
Plow all the clover and other legumes into the soil and spread what I know is 100 percent organic manure, and she's ready for the summer corn crop.
6 years for a dollar that's wild @Meadowlark. Here in Kentucky it was going for 6 to 8 dollars a dozen last year and the talk is it's going to be higher this summer.

 

[Meadowlark]

6 years for a dollar that's wild @Meadowlark. Here in Kentucky it was going for 6 to 8 dollars a dozen last year and the talk is it's going to be higher this summer.

Well, my memory is like me...older than dirt ...but when the corn comes in for the gardeners around here the price really falls at the local markets.

 

[yardiron]

Sweet corn has been about impossible to find here other than the four ears to a package froze type for a few years no. The supermarket usually has three ears for a buck on holiday weekends but they never have more than a pallet of it and its gone in minutes day one. The farmer's market here wanted $11/dozen most of last year and they sold out.
For me, I simply refuse to pay that much for corn no matter how good it may be. Its not worth the space to grow my own here, but I'm working on making more garden room for next season though. Its too late for this year.
With as high as taxes have gotten here I'm about ready to plow and plant the whole yard, To afford to stay in Jersey at these prices this place will have to feed me too.

 

[Ruderunner]

Hee hee. I've thought about planting in our front yard but momma said NO!

 

[gary350]

Agree, and some of the worst is applying commercial corn growing to backyard gardening.

It has always depended on what is in your soil. If your soil is high in "P" and/or "K", you don't need to add it during the growing cycle.

If your soil is high in organic matter laden with legume plants nitrogen, you do not need to add nitrogen during the growing cycle. The organic material breaks down all during the growth cycle providing ample nitrogen to the backyard corn.

In decades of growing backyard corn, I never add anything during the growing cycle.



Several members here including myself grow the Honey Select triplesweet, sugar enhanced variety. It has 75% sugary-enhanced kernels and 25% supersweet kernels making it the perfect combination of corn flavor and sweetness with exceptional sweetness, tenderness, and rich buttery flavor. Honey Select is also known for its great holding ability, meaning it stays fresh longer on the stalk.

This home gardener grows corn for TASTE and without question the taste is best when consumed fresh. I have found we can enjoy fresh corn from the garden from June through August by stagger planting the seeds. Many days during the summer, corn on the cob is the primary table fare here. I look forward to it every summer.

The famous Colorado Olathe corn is good but fresh Honey Select is better. At 6 ears for a dollar around here in summer, I certainly do not grow it for $. Taste is supreme.

Here are my three plantings of Honey Select corn now starting with the first:

View attachment 108868

The second:

View attachment 108869

And the third:

View attachment 108870

I grew up on a farm in the 1950s we planted several 1000 acres of field corn and planted garden sweet corn the same way. I moved to TN after college TN clay soil 100° hot dry desert 1 small rain per month all summer TN corn needs irrigation and nitrogen. 10 years ago there was some good info online from University studies and FFA that field corn only needs N and calcium. I assume sweet corn needs the same can't find much FFA or university studies on sweet corn. I never heard of putting NPK on corn until a few days ago corn is modified grass. There are video that tell how to know when sweet corn is 100% ripe and best sweet flavor. I want bigger corn kernels with good flavor but only have room for 300 plants. We tried several sweet corns we like G90 best it grows perfect in the space I have. We grew Peaches & Cream 2 years then we found G90.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have just planted out my sweet corn, of course we don't really have the climate here, most commercially grown corn is cut green and used as fodder, and the seed for garden growing is f1 hybrids, they have been getting better. However we are advised not to plant in rows, but in squares, to assist pollination, the standard seems to be plants at eighteen inches each way, I have a block of five plants each way, twenty five. Seeing all yours in rows makes me wonder, do you ever have problems with pollination? And do you take account of the prevailing winds when you angle the rows?
When I had finished planting I went and got the mangetout peas that needed planting out. Looking round for somewhere to put them I remembered a suggestion that planting climbing French beans with sweet corn is mutually beneficial nitrogen fixers and something to grow up, runner beans they said were too vigorous. It made peas sound ideal, so I have planted them out between the corn.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Sometimes it seems you guys are farming rather than gardening, I planted out my 25 sweetcorn yesterday. I don't know if it is because there are less of them, or because our climate calls for specialised f1 hybrids, but we are told to plant in blocks rather than row. Someone I was reading suggested planting French beans with them for extra nitrogen, they said runners are too vigorous, as it happened I had some left over mangetout peas, legumes and not too vigorous, so I planted a row of them between the first two blocks.
Just wondering, do you consider the direction of the prevailing wind when yu decide where to place your rows.

It told me I had lost the post by going elsewhere before saving it, then when I posted this one up popped the other, sorry about that.

 

[gary350]

This video says they use nitrogen to grow corn.

 

[Meadowlark]

This video says they use nitrogen to grow corn.

Who cares? What matters is what is in your soil. Some need nitrogen some do NOT.

 

[Meadowlark]

Sometimes it seems you guys are farming rather than gardening

Is there a difference that matters?