Cant grow corn to save my life.

[RalphVa]

I was able to grow a few ears of popcorn last year. We planted Dakota black and wow it looks awesome. Have not cooked it yet but we planted it with beans and squash (3 sisters).

Popcorn was only about the one thing that didn't do too well in the 2 or 3 foot thick topsoil of the creek overflow garden down below.

Ralp

 

[dj1701]

I used to grow corn all the time. I like the way it crop looks and love eating it roasted on the grill. Never thought it would be hard to grow.

I have plenty of sun, and water. Must be the soil.

What's a good place to have the soil tested?

 

[RalphVa]

No black walnut trees on the property. The soil is most likely acidic because pines and blueberries grow well here, not much else.

When I moved in the neighbors said I would have to put in raised beds. I laughed at that. I now have raised beds.

I had to put in raised beds because after congestive heart failure, I no longer could go running down below when a flood was forecast to remove the electric fencing and soaker hoses. It also requires gobs of mulch that I hauled down in the FEL and carryall of the tractor and required weeding constantly. I should have scooped up some of the soil and put it in the raised beds. I'd contend with the weeds again if I could get some okra. Not really enough space in raised beds for corn.

NEVER EVER used ANY chemical fert in the garden down below, not even any manure. Once bought some "miracle grow" soil. Stuff grew good that first season in that little plot. After that, like an atomic bomb had hit it, because I never added any more fert. Took it about 4 years or so in adding compost and mulch for it to come back to life. Once you start using the stuff, you're stuff with it. Yeah, it works, if you want chemically produced stuff.

You DO NOT need gobs of corn to pollinate it. I'd put in 2 half rows of corn about 10 days apart between mid April and around (don't recall exactly, think it was) mid June.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

My soil is very acidic. Had to add lime( limestone ). Bring it down to near neutral. First year our corn did EXACTLY like the OP. Next year we couldn't give it all away. We froze 65 quarts of kernel corn. Third year - more lime - planted less corn.

Soil needs to be around 6.0. That's what I got it up to in the garden soil down below. The soil I bought for these raised beds was around 6 or so to start. Yes, it'll do better with up near 7.0 pH, but in a big plot, you'll need LOTS of lime. Natural pH of soil around here is 5.5.

Ralph

 

[RalphVa]

^^^Before you do anything else take Jeff痴 advice^^^

The VCE soil tests are up to $10 now here in central Va. Not sure what Southern States charge. They use a different lab.

Ralph

 

[Big Barn]

you'll need LOTS of lime.

We used to have 2 tons per acre applied by a service with a Big A spreader.

 

[ray66v]

Be careful about adding any lime until you do a PH test. There are test kits for doing this.

If you need to lower the PH, the lime will be working against you.

Corn also needs a ton of nitrogen to do well. If your soil is depleted of it, It takes a lot of high nitrogen fertilizer to get it back up high enough for corn. You can do a home test for this too.

Turning yellow could also be too much water. Most corn will grow fine under normal conditions, without a lot of extra water. Try different amounts of water on different parts of your garden to see if that helps.

Try a different variety of seed, you may have better luck that way too. I grow Ambrosia every year, and it never fails to give me a quality crop.

 

[stuckmotor]

Yes, I cannot either, in these raised beds I made up here. Have had the soil tested twice: perfect in every way. Could grow corn like gangbusters in the creek overflow garden I had down below for about 8 years. Also grew okra so tall that I had to bend it over to cut pods from the top. Hardly get any okra at all in these raised "perfect soil" beds up here. Don't get any corn at all, just tiny stunted ears.

And I'm a master gardener.

Ralph

Could your raised beds be bordered by a wood that either naturally or by chemical preservative retards the corn's growth?

 

[Diggin It]

What's a good place to have the soil tested?

I got this from my county ag extension office, no charge.



I don't really understand what it means or what to do though.

 

[gstrom99]

If it is really CLAY soil, good luck. Not much grows in clay, even if you can get decent ph. A good program of adding organic's might help; ie manure, etc...