Is it still too early to plant Silver Queen?

[Denny Clayton]

Here in Jersey I was always told corn should be Knee high by the fourth of July.

I'd always heard that too, for here in Ohio. But it dates back many years ago, long before today's advanced methods and seed varieties. You can about move that ahead 30 days. Usually it's about head high on July 4th.

[ScottyD'sdad]

From description in ad, Johnny's seeds, Maine....... The 8", slightly tapered ears fill to the tip with 14-16 rows of sweet, richly flavored, tender white kernels. Dark green, tight husks, and abundant dark flags. 7' plants. Requires warm (65°F/18°C) soil to germinate properly. Avg. 2,300 seeds/lb. Packet: 150 seeds.

I've grown it.for 30 years. My fat tummy, is from corn, not the occasionally mentioned, donuts! Ed

[tractordad]

Bob, we've always planted all sweet corn when the ground if 50 degrees or better. Early planting is always a gamble, but on the retail side, the sooner you have locally grown corn, the better. If you want corn as soon as possible and don't mind gambling with some seed, find your driest area and plant a row now. I planted sweet corn last night and will continue to do so every week for at least 6 weeks. I ALWAYS side dress when planting. I have found this make a huge difference in both sweet corn and the cattle corn. Our biggest concern is rotting seed in the ground. We also put in 25 acres of cattle corn last weekend and the seeds are already germinating. The forecast next week looks ok and once I see it pushing out of the gound, I feel a lot better.

[bob in CT]

Bob, we've always planted all sweet corn when the ground if 50 degrees or better. Early planting is always a gamble, but on the retail side, the sooner you have locally grown corn, the better. If you want corn as soon as possible and don't mind gambling with some seed, find your driest area and plant a row now. I planted sweet corn last night and will continue to do so every week for at least 6 weeks. I ALWAYS side dress when planting. I have found this make a huge difference in both sweet corn and the cattle corn. Our biggest concern is rotting seed in the ground. We also put in 25 acres of cattle corn last weekend and the seeds are already germinating. The forecast next week looks ok and once I see it pushing out of the gound, I feel a lot better.

I planted early bi-color about 2 weeks ago (right after Zagray) along with some sweet yellow corn. It has germinated but not 100%. I planted another block last night and side-dressed the first planting plus I added some more seed to the rows where there were gaps in germination. The compost I put in has turned my soil very dark so hopefully that will help warming it up.

Next is when to spray and what to spray. My first year of planting corn I didn't have any earworms at all until late in the season. I didn't side dress and got 4 ears off of many of the plants. Last year was so wet and nasty, I planted up until early July and then had to travel. All I got was a few stunted plants that I plowed under.

[KETCHAM]

I try to plant mine around Mothers Day.We get frosts till a week before Memorial Day.So I plant then.I'm going to plant the reast this Weds!!! I hope to have a great growing year this year!!!!!!Kevin

[BigBill]

My corn is going in next weekend. Its been a tough spring with the late frost. I'm hoping my whole garden should be planted by next weekend. My new fruit trees that we just planted have bloomed right thru the frost. My blueberries and strawberries made it too. I just ordered another 100 strawberry plants too. I need to grow more to feed the animals too. I have a blackbear living in the back of my yard too.

[Don McCombs]

Next is when to spray and what to spray.

I was hoping to see some responses to this question from some of the big time sweet corn growers out there. What do you spray? When and how often do you spray it? Any others suggestions, tips, etc?

[bob in CT]

Ed puts a paper lunch bag over his (corn) ears after they are pollinated and does not spray.

After a 99 degree day yesterday I think the soil is warming...

[Don McCombs]

Ed puts a paper lunch bag over his (corn) ears after they are pollinated...

Now that he's retired, Ed clearly has more time on his hands than I do.

[Rudi]

Next is when to spray and what to spray.

I was hoping to see some responses to this question from some of the big time sweet corn growers out there. What do you spray? When and how often do you spray it? Any others suggestions, tips, etc?

Don:

Dad always snapped the tops of the corn stalk after the ears formed so that the corn worms wouldn't get to it. I don't understand why/how/rationale .. but it seems to work for him. Em does the same. The only thing here is that the corn is about 5 or 6 feet at that time. Getting a Cub with a spray rig in at that time is kinda impossible. I think spraying would be beneficial, especially in larger plantings and done before the corn gets above 2 feet or so. It you have less than a 1/2 acre snapping the tops is relatively easy, but if you have an acre or more.. it gets problematic and expands exponentially as the field increases in size.

I have been contemplating a viable system to spray the corn. since we are thinking about planting about 2 acres of corn this year, the project has to move up a bit. With Ellie being 6 volt, 12 volt electric pumps like you see on tag-along sprayers are out of the question unless you have a 12 volt battery on the side to power the sprayer. That is doable, just not neat. So back to the thoughts of the gear pump, a 45 gallon barrel and twin 6 foot booms about 2 feet above the operator platform. Using say 2-3 nozzles per boom should be able to cover say 5 rows at a time. Maybe it will get done.

Be curious to see what others use for spray rigs - with the pros and cons.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Ed puts a paper lunch bag over his (corn) ears after they are pollinated...

Now that he's retired, Ed clearly has more time on his hands than I do.

Don, I did that for years, long before retirement. Keeps the birds, and some of the bugs, off the corn. I prefer not to eat chemicals, on the few items, where I have a choice. Ed

I'm probably planting my first oath of Silver Queen, tomorrow.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Planted two rows of Silver Queen, this afternoon, along with two other varieties. Need to top dress the early corn plantings, tomorrow. Ed

[BigBill]

I just tilled the corn patch today because i'm still planting trees. My arthritis was really bad the last few days and of course we seen the bad rain storm that caused it to act up. My corn will go in over the next few days. My problem is where to buy good corn seed? A few years back i purchased a name brand seed and the two packets i received never came up at all. But the surrounding corn of the same brand did grow. (different variety) My silver seed just came from a local discount dollar store here and its dated for this year. I think i got taken on the mail order seed that didn't come up. I wonder if there repackaging the old seed stock at the manufacturing company with the newer date?

Last fall i trucked in older cow / steer manure so i should have more success in growing corn i hope.

I been also using some processed chicken manure from a chicken farm on Rt8 in mass. All my new trees are planted with this manure and there all growing awesome. We grew peach trees from the pitts and its the third year and we have our very first white peaches. Using the chicken manure.

I need a corn planter and cultivator soon for my very small corn patch. With my health getting worse i just can't rely on people to help me all the time.

Everything i grow is 25% for us to eat and around 75% for the animals to eat also.

[SONNY]

I planted our SQ a couple days ago.-----after I sprayed the pre-emerg for early weed control.--the other 2 kinds were planted a bout 3 days ago and are sprouted.

The bug spray goes on with the hand sprayer so that I can hit the silks and tassels together. thanks; sonny

[BigBill]

We finally planted all of our corn. This year the misses put the black plastic that will let water thru it between the rows of planted corn to keep the weeds down. I'm not using chemicals on anything that i grow. Something has to be causing all this cancer thats happening. Most of my family grew up on fresh veggies from the garden and i'm growing fruit trees now too. My kids were tested for the cancer gene and there ok. There is cancer in both families.

As a kid we would cut out the wormed area in the pears and apples and eat the rest that wasn't touched. We never sprayed anything.