Growing corn??????

[BigBill]

Ok we talked about this before but i can't remember what to add to the corn??

My corn never grows tall and i get small ears.

My ground is tilled and the corn is planted in 3' rows with the seeds 6" to 8" apart. When the corn comes up what do i feed it with? Nitrogen? (how) manure?

How much manure should i use in the fall or spring, will too much manure hurt the corn production? Should i use more lime when i use more manure?

[DanR]

Corn needs lots of nitrogen. Side dress with something like 20-10-10 when the corn is about 4" tall and again at the last cultivation. Manure which is good for the soil probably will not supply enough nitrogen when the corn need it most. Correct your Ph to about 6.5. Lime takes months to change the Ph so probably not help this year. This is all guess work until you get a SOIL TEST.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Chicken manure is high in nitrogen. I have used it to sidedress corn. Ed

[Bill Hudson]

Bill,

Lets put your questions about fertilizer for corn into perspective. I'll use our beloved Cubs as an analogy. Oil is the lifeblood of a Cub, absolutly essential for the operation of the Cub. Likewise, nutrients in the soil are the lifeblood of plants grown on the soil.

Lets say that you see someone with an excellent Cub. The owner is adding a quart of oil to the crankcase and because his looks so good you add a quart of oil to yours - without checking your dipstick. Of course you would not do this without checking the level of oil in your crankcase. You would pull the dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert the dipstick, and pull it out to check the oil level. Why, because your Cub is different from the other Cub.

So, pull the dipstick on your soil. Take a soil test to find out the nutrients in your soil and then add the nutrients required for the crop you are going to be growing.

Your local county extension office will have information concerning soil test laboratories. A soil test should cost ~$15. This small investment can result in a much more productive garden - when you apply the nutrients in the proper amounts.

Good luck.

Bill

[Don McCombs]

Excellent advice, Bill.
And here's an excellent resource:
http://www.aasl.psu.edu/

[CapeCodCubs]

Ok we talked about this before but i can't remember what to add to the corn??

Lotsa butter and salt!

[smigelski]

Ok we talked about this before but i can't remember what to add to the corn??

Lotsa butter and salt!

and OLD BAY

[Carm]

Ok we talked about this before but i can't remember what to add to the corn??

Lotsa butter and salt!

and OLD BAY

Right on Right on!!!!!!!!!!!

[ScottyD'sdad]

Bill, is it getting a full day of sun? Corn can't grow well in shade. Ed

[BigBill]

Yup its in direct sunlite all day.

I do have a source for seasoned chicken manure at the chicken farm its been processed and aged and i think its 11-11-11 if i remember correctly but i could be wrong.

[CapeCodCubs]

Don't forget to add a drop of mineral oil to the top of the ear to keep bugs away.
.
This new background is awful!!! Not very friendly to say the least...

[Lurker Carl]

This new background is awful!!! Not very friendly to say the least...

What new background?

Go the "User Control Panel", the link is at the top left corner of each page under the IH Cub logo. Choose "board preferences" tab, then "edit global settings" and then over to "My board style" and choose each of the four different styles until you find the one that suits you best.

[BigBill]

I picked up the special blend of chicken manure from a local chicken farmer its marked on the bag 3-6-3. I have to do a soil test to be sure on what to do next year.

[CapeCodCubs]

What are you growing for corn??

[MaineDad]

How many rows are you growing too. It's my experience that you need several rows to help for correct pollination.