Planting corn

Allenfarm · May 11, 2012

If I wanted to plant about 10 acres of corn and I don't have a row planter what would be the best way to go about doing this? I have a plow to cut rows, but nothing to plant seeds in rows with, any suggestions?

rockinmywaypa · May 11, 2012

Io acres is a lot of ground to cover in a rinky dink way. The best thing is to find a neighbour and hire him to do it. The next thing is to buy a small one row gardeners planter, garden-way I think is a brand name. Remember that this way will take days and result in a lot of aching muscles and blisters.

Dr_Zinj · May 11, 2012

You could plant broadcast and then drag soil over it. That's a horribly inefficient way to plant 10 acres, and you don't get rows that you can run a mechanical picker down.

GGB · May 11, 2012

For 10 acres, I'd probably see if one of the local farmers who has equipment would be interested in planting it for you, especially if you're just getting started or not familiar with planters.

But if you're set on doing it yourself, I'd look around for a 2 or 4 row planter at farm sales and ask around at the local ag equipment dealers. They may know someone who wants to sell that size equipment.

This size has also become popular for wildlife foodplots, so you might ask around to see if you can find someone doing foodplots to do your 10 acres.

nybirdman · May 11, 2012

I am about to do mine with an ATV spreader.I don't care about rows;everything is left until spring.Wildlife food plots.

Allenfarm · May 12, 2012

Ok, one more question. If I broadcast the seed, If I use a plow to cover seed and pull it back to rows would that work, Or would that cover it too much?

MarkV · May 12, 2012

What do you plan to do if it grows? Pick by hand?

MarkV

Allenfarm · May 15, 2012

"What do you plan to do if it grows? Pick by hand?"

Ill figure that out when I get there. Ill pick what I want then let the wildlife have the rest, Or I'll hire a neighbors machine.

flusher · May 15, 2012

Dr_Zinj said:
You could plant broadcast and then drag soil over it. That's a horribly inefficient way to plant 10 acres, and you don't get rows that you can run a mechanical picker down.

Righto--and the birds will feast on your corn seed

. You'll be lucky to get 50% germination via broadcasting. Money down the drain, IMHO.

Dr_Zinj · May 15, 2012

flusher said:
Righto--and the birds will feast on your corn seed. You'll be lucky to get 50% germination via broadcasting. Money down the drain, IMHO.

Yeah, that's one reason why the Europeans starved for so long.

Of course that was before they had tractors!

hunterridgefarm · May 15, 2012

Check with your county Ag Extension Office. They my have a planter you can rent or know of someone who can assist you. The county in live in has a no-till-drill and other attachments they rent out.

slowzuki · May 16, 2012

What machine for broadcast corn? Picker won't work. You could cut it for silage alright but your neighbour probably won't like trying a combine and corn head on it. A bushhog works ok on it too. How are you going to weed it?

What do you mean you have a plow to cut rows anyways? You have a strip till rig?

Allenfarm said:
"What do you plan to do if it grows? Pick by hand?"

Ill figure that out when I get there. Ill pick what I want then let the wildlife have the rest, Or I'll hire a neighbors machine.

Allenfarm · May 17, 2012

Slowzuki,

Thank you for your post. But picking the corn is something I clearly stated earlier "I would worry about later". If I have to buy a picker of some sort I will. I appreciate any helpful comments anyone has.

Thanks

bjr · May 18, 2012

With price of Sweet corn seed and doing 10 acres, I'd want it done right. That's only part of the growing process, cultivating, spraying and if it's not in rows, how would you ever use a picker? Sweet Corn can be a real PITA, tryin' to keep the worms out of it. bjr

Bird · May 18, 2012

bjr said:
With price of Sweet corn seed and doing 10 acres, I'd want it done right. That's only part of the growing process, cultivating, spraying and if it's not in rows, how would you ever use a picker? Sweet Corn can be a real PITA, tryin' to keep the worms out of it. bjr

I know when you talk about keeping the worms out, you're talking about worms in the ears of corn, but when I was just a kid, I heard that the Indians planted 5 kernels of seed corn per hill. That was one for the worm, one for the crow, one to rot, and two to grow.

BrianR · May 18, 2012

Why not pick up a Flex 71 1, 2 or 3 row 3-point mounted corn planter? Or check with a local farmer who may be upgrading the row units on their big planter and buy a couple of row units, build a 3 point toolbar and mount the row units on it.

I have a source for some Kinze no-till units that a neighbor will be removing and discarding. They are the finger style pickups. I will building me a 3 row unit from those when he gets his new ones installed.

slowzuki · May 18, 2012

Do you mean later this season, or later as in another crop in the future? You aren't listening to the advice here, a mechanical picker has to have rows planted. Anyone who combines isn't going to be happy about a lack of rows. Are you going to run down crop to make your own rows for spraying? 10 acres is a lot of ground.

Allenfarm said:
Slowzuki,

Thank you for your post. But picking the corn is something I clearly stated earlier "I would worry about later". If I have to buy a picker of some sort I will. I appreciate any helpful comments anyone has.

Thanks