Corn in Connecticut (first time)

[whelan]

I've been waiting for this for awhile now. I picked up some Sweet Corn Seeds this past week and want to try it out.

I have grass over the area currently and want to know any tips, hints, expectations, etc. I am new to gardening and would love any help offered. So far I plan to rent a tiller to turn the grass and then get some bagged soil and composte/manure to prep. However I am not entirely sure when I should start doing that, how much space is needed for each stalk, how long the growing season is, when to plant, and on and on.

I'm quite ambitious as you can see so please pour in and help out.

Thanks!

 

[Randy]

Corn can be planted when the soil warms up to 50 degrees or warmer. The seed packet tells you to plant seeds a couple of inches apart and then thin them to 12" apart. I plant my seeds 12" apart and put a couple of seeds in at each point. Then I thin out one of the plants if both seeds germinate. I like to have 3 or 4 feet between rows so they are easy to walk between, but you can also put a couple of rows 12" apart and then leave 4 feet between each pair of rows. That gives easy access to both rows for picking or maintenance. In the farms though, the rows are about 18" apart. But the corn is harvested by machine so walking between the rows does not apply. For one of those mechanical pickers, the farmer can pick over seven tons of corn in an hour. I had a chance to ride in one a couple of years ago and it was quite impressive. For good pollination though, you should have at least four rows of corn.

 

[whelan]

Thanks for the input, I was trying to figure what you meant by thinning but I think from you response you mean that when they start to pop up from the ground I can pull them and spread them apart?

I'll keep an eye on soil temp as well, and for my personal use I will only be plantiny maybe 3-4 rows of 6 stalks max. So ideally for me the area to use can afford 12" between rows and more space between each stalk in the row.

 

[Kya D]

My only thought is that you should always plant 4 or 5 short rows not 1 long row.
You get better pollination that way.

 

[KallieLashay]

Corn will get as tall as you let them. Watch out for the deer as well, they love corn! You do not need to cage, stake or use a trellis but a fence is wise to keep deer away. I have never tried corn. It takes up alot of room but I am sure it is worth it. Also you don't need fancy soil. I have seen corn grow in the very dirt that is already in the ground. You can make your soil more rich by using compost. But with the soil you will be spending unnecessary money! I grow everything without using any fancy soil. I actually grow my plants in red clay because I live in Georgia!

What else are you growing? What is your planting zone?

 

[Randy]

That's what I meant, Kya, about minimum of four rows. What I meant by thinning though was two-fold. If you plant according to the seed packet, most of your plants will be pulled out. Being rather frugal, I plant two seeds close together, but each pair is planted 12" apart so when I thin them, I only lose one plant. I don't replant the one I take out. I don't think they will survive.

 

[lynpenny]

Randy and Kya are right you need to plant in a square to get good pollination With corn you can do a lot of different planting designs. I've seen it planted where they had a small garden and planted the corn around the four sides. I've seen it where they do a square with the plants 12" apart in two close rows and then 12" apart in the row and give 18" to 3' between the rows. You can plant climbing beans in you row to climb up the stocks and plant pumpkins or squash between the rows for weed control (three sisters planting) Any way you plant them just know it takes around 100 days to eating or more. Look at the package for the time till harvest. It can be the best corn you have ever eaten. Corn is a heavy feeder and needs full sun. good luck.

 

[whelan]

Great information!

My yard is already fenced in I would just put the garden area in a corner and fence off the portion in the yard so the dog does not get in and dig it all up. No concern for deer as I live in an area that is not loaded with woods, or deer for that matter.

I'll try the box technique and see how it goes. I'm torn between two places at the moment. I did a quick MS Paint sketch of the yard:

Green = Grass
Tan = House
Brown = Large Tree
Black = Patio
Blue = Fence
Grey = Options for Corn/garden

The top left grey area is in the sun ALL day long. The bottom right is in the sun late morning to dusk. The big tree gives shade during the morning and the house shades in late afternoon. I figure either would be a good spot, I just preferred the bottom left because it is kinda out of the way of the rest of the yard.

Another potential is that the area of fence along the right has been recently cleared of brush and vines. So my concern would be planting to close to them if they start to grow back. Maybe the top left is best.

Ideas?

 

[lynpenny]

looks like a plan to me.

 

[Randy]

This photo was taken from inside a corn picker and the rows appear to be two feet apart so they will feed between the prongs on the picket. The farmer is a friend of mine and farms about 1500 acres.