Comments on: Planting Sweet Corn

By: linda gregory

linda gregory — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:21:23 +0000

Short corn tasseling
my corn is only 1ft 2ft an it is tasseling is this normal.

Hi Linda
Corn is usually 5-6ft tall, there are some shorter varieties but tasseling at 1-2ft is not normal. Premature tasseling of corn is a stress related problem usually caused by the weather. Either too cold, too dry,not enough fertilizer will cause stunting and premature tasseling. If you planted corn too early and warm weather corn experienced cold temepratures during stalk elongation, then it may tassel prematurely. Not much you can do about it. A shorter stalk will produce less ears.more info

By: blatham

blatham — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:53:46 +0000

I am planning on planting sweet corn this summer but my garden space is only 10*7 is this area large enough for corn? Plus is it best to plant corn seeds in a row or trench?

Hi Blatham
Here’s how Rodale recommends planting corn. “Make a shallow furrow and sow 3 seeds together every 8-12″. Cover with 1-2″ of soil. Space the rows 24-36″ apart and plant in a block of short rows.”* If you use 2ft between rows and 1ft. between seeds then a 4×4ft section will give you 9 groups of seeds and plenty of cross pollination. *Rodale’s vegetables,fruits and herbs

By: Kyle WIlliams

Kyle WIlliams — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:45:45 +0000

Growing gardens could help stimulus. Love that comment and something I think is very important for everyone in the community. Very few of us have truelly seen hard times. But, in many ways the signs are here that hard times are coming. My biggest suggestion is not only grow large gardens and share with our neighbors the bounty of harvest. But to encourage church groups. local community organizations and even local goverments to grow food in every available space. Excess food can be jarred and donated to the poor. There is no reason for anyone to be homeless in this country. But there is even less excuse for anyone to be hungry in this country. Would be a wonderful school program for our children. Would be a wonderful use of alot of land that is sitting idol.

Well said, I totally agree. Thanks for the comment! Kris

By: growing gardens. could help stimulus

growing gardens. could help stimulus — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:50:19 +0000

with hard times in the united states why don’t folks go back to raising food on the land they have and this would help in these hard times to put some food on the tables, we would be surprise what it would do if everone that could and have enought land to grow some of the food the family eat. by doing this it would make the market food cheaper and then it would level out for good for the consumers over all… just some thoughts from and old kentucky hill billy.
what do you think about my idea? this would help the stimulus plan and make food prices go down , if they was less demand for foods from the market places

By: luke lee

luke lee — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 03:35:22 +0000

I plant my sweet corn in my garden and are still around a foot high. they are starting to get white stuff on them and nearby huge holes.There doesn't seem to be any bugs or insects nearby.I already tried some insecstiside for plants but the holes keep coming.How do i get rid of them and where is it coming from?

Hi Luke Are you referring to the ears of corn or the plant itself? The white stuff in ears of corn can be corn smut- a fungus that is considered a delicacy in some countries.

By: Janelle

Janelle — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:39:42 +0000

I was told that when my corn starts to grow more than 4 leaves that I should pull the bottom 2 off. This is supposed to yield better ears. Is this something I should consider? I haven’t had much success in growing sweet corn lately.

If you have more than one plant growing in the same space then snip the extra seedling at ground level to allow one main plant to grow. I have ot heard of the 4 leaves theory. One corn plant will normally produce 2 ears and some dwarf cultivars up to 4 ears. If your ears are not filling in, you may need to hand-pollinate to help mother nature.

By: mark nickell

mark nickell — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:14:40 +0000

I am planting three 1 acre fields

My best suggestion would be to contact your local extension office. Ask for the extension advisor that can help you with farming corn. There are different chemicals that can be used in agriculture to control weeds in corn which have different application requirements. Extension offices are available all over the U.S. If you need more info let me know.

By: mark nickell

mark nickell — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:45:42 +0000

when planting my sweet corn there is a grass that will grow with the stalks,and takes the nutrition from the corn.How do I get rid of the grass?

Are you growing large fields of corn or just in the garden?

By: stanley mcqueen

stanley mcqueen — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:54:24 +0000

my father was a tobacco farmer and a good one..i was raised on a small twenty 26 acres tobacco farm , and my father and mother was such good people both hard working and they raised nine of us kids by the sweat of their brow..they are both dead now and i miss them so much, back when we was all at home and growing up we raised big gardens on the small farm and our table was always full of good food, we were poor and dad drove the county school bus and farmed tobacco, those were the good years back then, working together with a hoe in our hand and crops to tend it make us close together and formed a bond that is impossiable to describe..we were taught to work and to grow things and not to complain about a hard day in the fields, we hoed tobacco and our garden was our food. we put out large gardens because they were so many mouths to feed, mother canned large amount of beans and veg soups, she canned black berrys and made jellies and everything that would help our table have food on it..desides our family my great great grandma lived with is and also one of mom brother who name was Carl Dean , mom mother and dad both died early before all her brother and kids were completly grown and married off and what was old enought to be married took in the remainder of the younger one, which was a noble thing to do with mom folks dieing so young before all her brothers and sister was big enought to fend for themselves..i just wanted all you folks to know that back then folks put a lot of stock in the family garden ,because if you was poor folks like us raising a garden was our life line, and i just want to thank God for being taught and brought up on and american farm with good hardworking parents that learned us to work for our bread and to love one another , and to never be scared of a hard days work…if your would like to be a email pal of mine id be happy to hear from any old or young gardener..I am like i said and old kentucky clod that is disabled and now my wife does the garden stuff and i miss being in good health ..but bad health come with age and now im 57 and hoping to see some good looking gardens in the future in it be the lord God will. email me sometime i would be happy to be your friend …mcqueen@mail.com

By: stanley mcqueen

stanley mcqueen — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:17:20 +0000

one things i want to mention about growning gardens, useing a good tiller plow is the key to making a good garden, if your are lazy and don’t like a little work and dirt on you hands gardening is not for you..but those people with a little grit and has little willie will power as a first cousin to them , will not find a little work any problem, my dear pappy also said that lazy people grow weak crops .. and to note its’ the plain truth…i would suggest when you put out your garden this year fist off ask the good lord to help you grow it and bless the seeds that you plant.. lord help some of us who are not worthly to get blessed anyhow . and sometime we used the good lord like a spare tire, and lord forgive us all for that and help us plow our corn with your grace in our stepts. plowing and keeping the weeds out of our gardens is a sure way to raise a good garden..but as for me and old mountain plow boy God has help me with my crops all the while and you know what more that i would want to mention sometimes i never even look toward heaven to give my God thanks… lord help us all to believe and trust you even with our toils and labor in growing a graden. and remind us lord to look up at the end of the harvest and give you and earnest thanks for giving us rain and good growning season. if you like to get to know and old clod kentucky man email me at mcqueen@mail.com.i love farmers and all people .im simple as a jar of rain water, but have a heart and love for God big green earth