Growing sweet corn

[Butch 194]

Any Gardners here? I had to put in a new septic drainfield and to do so they had

to clear out some woods which now gives my yard an empty area. It gets around 6 to 8 hours of sun a day. garden size will be between 20x30 or 20x40 depending where I put up a privacy fence. The garden won't affect this new drainfield which uses baffles and no stone or pipe.

My plan is for around 8 types of veggies with corn being my MOST important crop. I'd like to know how far to place the rows a part and how far the seeds should be placed a part. I know you need at least 4 rows for cross polination. I'd like to harvest the corn at least once a week so I'm assuming I must plant new seeds every week. I figure 16 a week so I would have 4x4 squares and hopefully I can have corn for like 2 months once a week.

I have a Troy-Bilt Pony tiller. I was considering getting the hiller/furrower for it and plow up raised rows for the seeds. Anyone ever do this?

What about soil prep that I should start this year? For 20 years I've been rototilling

under my leaves and grass clippings. I have some very nice soil areas which will eventually get grass. But this garden won't be in one of those areas so I need to start working on the soil. I'll probably get some terrasoil from our landfill which is a combination topsoil and compost and get some horse manure from the local horse farms. I've used horse manure before and know I'll be growing whatever the horses eat. How deep should I pile on the above items before rototilling it?

Any tips or help greatly appreciated.

Butch

S. Jersey

"The Garden State" :thumbs2:

[N.C. horserider 5]

Butch let me check on the spacing between rows and individual plants as I have corn growing right across the road. The farmer that owns the field does not plow or put hills for the corn. He just tills it up in the spring and they add a nitrogen based fertilizer and in a week or so the plants start coming up. I would say using topsoil and compost would be OK and then add the nitrogen pellets. The pellets are like BB size don't know how much they cost but any garden shop should carry it. You won't be planting every week it will take it a couple weeks before you even see an ear of corn.

[Butch 194]

Mike depending on the corn it takes anywhere from 75 days to 95 days for

corn to become pickable/ripe. Instead of picking all the corn at once I'm gonna plant seeds about a week a part so that way 16 ears of corn will be ready for picking each week. Many people don't know it but there is only one ear of corn on a stalk!! Sometimes there is a second ear but its not a full size ear.

If you're gonna measure the distance between rows then measure the distance between the stalks in the same row. Thanks.

Butch

S. Jersey

[N.C. horserider 5]

I see what you're saying now I just read it wrong. I'll get you the measurements in the morning and post back here.

[N.C. horserider 5]

Butch the rows are three feet apart and the stalks are 6 inches apart. I can get you a picture if you need it.

[Nick 13]

I'm no farmer but would it be better to have 2 rows planted at the same time to get good pollination?

Did some looking and sounds like shorter rows planted in blocks will give better pollination and full ears of corn.

Easy gardening link

Growing sweet corn link

Backyard corn link

[Butch 194]

Butch the rows are three feet apart and the stalks are 6 inches apart. I can get you a picture if you need it.

Mike thanks! No I don't need a pic. I just needed the measurements. Thanks.

Butch

S. Jersey

[Butch 194]

Nick I think you need at least for rows for cross pollination. So I was gonna have 4 rows and then plant 4 seeds in each row giving it a 4x4 box for pollination. My hope is to plant a 4x4 box of seeds every week giving me 16 ears of corn a week. I don't know how long corn can stay on the stalk once it's ready to pick. If it could stay a couple months then I would plant it all at once. It's something I'll have to look into. It would be easier to plant the seeds all at once. I have until next Spring

to figure out a game plan and learn about corn.

Thanks for the links.

Butch

S. Jersey

[Nick 13]

Butch, I think there is something like a one week window to pick sweet corn at its best. It wouldn't be right from the garden but you could blanch the ears then freeze them. That might help keep you from loosing any if too many are ready at one time.

[HorseFixer 2,013]

Butch, I think there is something like a one week window to pick sweet corn at its best.

Maybe ya can teach a City Slicker from S. Jersey Some new tricks :thumbs2:

[porkchop 1]

Plant the seeds 2or3 inches apart because not all of them will come up. After they come up about 6 inchs thin them to 6",s apart after they get knee high pull dirt up around the stalks on both sides to help support the corn stalks. Plant rows wide enough to get tiller through. When the silks start showing spray with sevin or your corn will have worms guaranteed. 2 rows are fine but the more the better. As far as planting them like green beans every 2 weeks I.ve never had much luck with that. You might try 2 different varieties an early and late.

[bitten 134]

Porkchop took the answere right out of my mouth. I plant all at same time and use differant viratys to spread out harvest time. Rows wide enough for the tiller is a really good idea. Tilling is so much easyer then howing. Make sure you put your horse manure on in the fall so it has time to brake down and the winter shuold help kill off any seeds.

Good Luck.

[Butch 194]

Maybe ya can teach a City Slicker from S. Jersey Some new tricks

City Slicker?

Niles, MI......................Populaton 12,000......Area 2.9 Sq miles.

Dennis Twp, NJ.............Population 5800.......Area 64.3 Sq miles.

Niles, Mi....................4137 people per Sq mile.

Dennis Twp, NJ..........90 people per Sq mile.

Denniis Twp consists of 7 towns.

Heck you guys have more people in taxi cabs than we have in grocery stores. Oops. We don't have any grocery stores!! Now that I think about it we don't have

any taxi cabs either!!

And you won't see any collared polo shirts with embroidery around here either!

Butch

S. Jersey

[Butch 194]

Randy I am gonna try different varieties. They do vary between 65 days and

95 days depending on the type. Silver Queen is 95 days which is my favorite.

So I was gonna try a couple differnt types and stagger the plantings. What I would like is 2 months of fresh corn to eat a couple times a week. My wife just bought

some sweet corn but the seller didn't know the type or where it came from. It was 60 cents an ear. I always have insecticides. I keep a good supply of carbaryl (sevin), bifethrin and malithion on hand. And I'd rather use the tiller than weed!

Thanks.

Butch

S. Jersey

[Butch 194]

bitten I was gonna till all the leaves, grass clippings, soil and manure under to mix it up and hopefully make it soft. No?

Butch

S. Jersey

[bitten 134]

Butch

Yes I would till it up, but I wouldnt add any manure close to the time or during planting.

[porkchop 1]

My favorite corn is peaches and cream or ambrosia. I have grown both in Indiana with good success.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,479]

My favorite is "Burdick", a nice white and yellow corn, grows great in this area.