Planting corn advice , Please

[Donatello]

Last year I planted two short rows of sweet corn. I did okay.
This year I'm planting 5 rows X 60 ft. Do I have to create mounded rows or can I just plant in loose soil 6" separated by 24 " rows? Due to the weather here in Ok., I intend to use a 72 pot grow tray in potting medium. We are going to get a full week of rain/wind storms here.

My main question is: Do I have to create mounded rows or just in rows? What is the advantage?

 

[Meadowlark]

I can relate to you what I do and why I do it.

I use raised rows for all my veggie garden including corn. I generally stagger plant 5 raised rows of 40 ft each three times one month apart for continuous fresh corn all summer. We get hundreds of delicious ears that way spread out all summer, much of it we consume fresh.

There are a couple of significant drivers in why I employ raised rows and a few other minor drivers:

1) We get "toad strangler" rains often in May from stalled cold fronts that dump 10 inches or more on the garden at a time. Without raised rows, most veggies would drown on flat surface even if you have good drainage. It does not take long in warm/hot weather for young plants to drown.

2) The second major reason I use raised rows is because it tremendously reduces my workload. With my equipment, I can and do make the rows in a fraction of the time it would require manually. In addition, I can and do cultivate the rows when needed...takes considerably less than one minute to cultivate each 80 ft + row and about the same to make it.

The raised rows are a good 24 inches wide and offer the added benefit of double planting which I most always take advantage of. I especially like to double plant beans with corn.

I don't generally need to add soil amendments once the rows are planted but if it was necessary, the raised row is a good way to concentrate and thus efficiently use amendments...and water I might add.

I find that potatoes and onions thrive in raised rows and enable easy soil management. Potatoes need to be hilled up as they grow and that is easily done with raised rows. Also, onions need to have soil pulled away from the bulbs and that also is very easily managed with raised rows. Here's my spring crop as of now...potatoes beginning to bloom and onion bulbs already 3-4 inches diameter. Each row annually produces well in excess of 200 pounds each of organic produce.

My first corn planting this spring is just now breaking through. It will be completely planted out with corn and beans and other stuff over the next couple of months.

 

[Donatello]

I can relate to you what I do and why I do it.

I use raised rows for all my veggie garden including corn. I generally stagger plant 5 raised rows of 40 ft each three times one month apart for continuous fresh corn all summer. We get hundreds of delicious ears that way spread out all summer, much of it we consume fresh.

There are a couple of significant drivers in why I employ raised rows and a few other minor drivers:

1) We get "toad strangler" rains often in May from stalled cold fronts that dump 10 inches or more on the garden at a time. Without raised rows, most veggies would drown on flat surface even if you have good drainage. It does not take long in warm/hot weather for young plants to drown.

2) The second major reason I use raised rows is because it tremendously reduces my workload. With my equipment, I can and do make the rows in a fraction of the time it would require manually. In addition, I can and do cultivate the rows when needed...takes considerably less than one minute to cultivate each 80 ft + row and about the same to make it.

The raised rows are a good 24 inches wide and offer the added benefit of double planting which I most always take advantage of. I especially like to double plant beans with corn.

I don't generally need to add soil amendments once the rows are planted but if it was necessary, the raised row is a good way to concentrate and thus efficiently use amendments...and water I might add.

I find that potatoes and onions thrive in raised rows and enable easy soil management. Potatoes need to be hilled up as they grow and that is easily done with raised rows. Also, onions need to have soil pulled away from the bulbs and that also is very easily managed with raised rows. Here's my spring crop as of now...potatoes beginning to bloom and onion bulbs already 3-4 inches diameter. Each row annually produces well in excess of 200 pounds each of organic produce.

View attachment 107774

My first corn planting this spring is just now breaking through. It will be completely planted out with corn and beans and other stuff over the next couple of months.

View attachment 107775

Thank you so much for your very sound advice. The very last picture looks much like what I have done so far. with the rains predicted for the next week, I think I'll hold up with my corn planting until it dries out a day or two. Thanks!

 

[Meadowlark]

... I think I'll hold up with my corn planting until it dries out a day or two. Thanks!

Probably a good idea...there has been some chatter about another Polar Vortex breaking off but nothing definite yet.

 

[oneeye]

Thanks for the post Don. May I add a little information when planting corn. One important thing when planting corn is to make sure you plant enough rows in line with the wind direction to asure pollination. If pollination is mimized, the corn will not fully mature. Keep us posted.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

I never liked to plant corn if a lot of rain was in the forecast so it's a good idea to defentily hold off.
What variety did you grow last year? If you like fresh sweet corn as much as I do, you should try planting honey select!! As my grandpa used to say, it's so good you can't sit still and eat it.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The advice given here is to plant in blocks rather than rows to help wind pollination.
Was it you, Meadowlark who said be sure and plant them right way up so they all emerge at the same time?

 

[Meadowlark]

The winds this spring have been really heavy and unrelenting...and can be problematic for your young corn seedlings. I'd bet you have even worse winds @Donatello in the Ada area.

It's one reason I don't like transplanted corn seedlings...they just don't have as strong of a root base as the direct sowed corn and are subject to a much higher probability of wind damage even as the corn matures.

To counteract the winds negative effects, I like to "throw" dirt on the young seedlings after they get 2-3 inches in height. This not only stabilizes the young seedlings in these fierce winds but also kills weed seedlings. I have found in my garden that corn really appreciates having that dirt thrown up on them...works for me!

Here's that first planting after an excellent uniform germination and "dirt throwing" cycle.