Terrible corn!

Hi,
I hope somebody out there can give me some pointers. Every time I try to grow corn I end up thinking it was a great waste of garden space. I generally garden organically, except when it comes to putting things in pots. (I've yet to find a local supplier of organic potting soil that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.)

My corn tends to be dwarfish ---particularly so this year. Although I prefer to use open-pollinated heirloom seeds, that seemed to leave me with one choice when it comes to corn. After unsatisfactory results with that variety, I decided to try one of the hybrids and even bought special organic fertilizer especially formulated for corn. Besides the runty plants and tiny ears, none of the ears even filled out because something (I suspect the ever-present earwigs) ate the corn silks before the kernels could develop. This happens every time too. My husband and my mother both commented that they liked the flavor of this corn better than what I'd grown before. I guess the Golden Bantam wasn't sweet enough for them.

Anyhow, does anybody have any words of wisdom for me? (Besides, "Don't grow corn", I mean.)

Thanks.

well the spare kernals are a symptom of poor pollination and the lack of silk could be a big factor. Bantam is not as sweet as most white corn.

I used to grow corn a lot as a child - it liked horse manure and is a very heavy feeder so you cannot grow it in the same place each year. We had some problems with corn smut but usually had all we wanted. Silver queen was the sweetest and most prolific -

Is anyone growing corn near you - that is the most common complaint I have encounter - too poor a soil and being pollinated by field corn - yuck.

hi mccool. over in the veg gardening forum is a thread that could help you. links below.

also here is an article about growing corn organic & traditional:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/532699/

make your own organic potting mix:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/533384/

this takes a while to load, has link to article & tons of corn problems & solutions:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/513946/

part 2 of above:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/538044/

keep in mind, when growing organically, you must feed your soil. & organic corn seed will fare better under organic conditiond (read articles for explanation)

there just isn't many things better than fresh corn from your own plot!

tf AKA cornius

Thanks roxroe and TamaraFaye. I had actually already read a lot of the info in the links that you posted for me. I know that my soil isn't the greatest. I'm still working on it. I also know that corn's a heavy feeder, that's why I bought special fertilizer for it this time. Lack of rain may have played a part this year.

I have the corn planted in little circles this time ---- have also tried the short rows in a block formation. My biggest problem seems to be whatever (earwigs?) keeps eating the silks right down to the tips of the husks before the ears get a chance to fill out. Anybody got an organic solution to that one?

i had somthing eating my silk this year, i think it was harlequin bugs & grasshoppers. first i collected as many as i could. t he silks wre already pollinated, & the bugs were also on the tassels, so i bagged then & cut them off. then i sprayed them with "bug juice" & they moved on. you could also make a spray from tomato leafs or rhubarb leaves. there is a link for organic sprays for earwigs, i will find it & post here... http://www.ghorganics.com/Page44.html

"Earwigs:
For earwigs we carry: Diatomaceous Earth, Orange Guard, Rotenone/Pyrethrum Spray

Earwigs in general can be considered an ally in the garden as they will eat aphids, insect larvae, snails, and other slow moving bugs. and other pests at night as they are nocturnal. One truly good function of the insect is they eat the eggs of the codling moth which is a serious problem with apple trees. When you have an over population of earwigs they can become a nuisance. Generally they will feed on your marigolds and they really go for clematis vines, dahlias, delphiniums, pansies and chrysanthemums. They cause the most trouble June through October.

A favored control method is spreading diatomaceous earth where they are apt to crawl. Make applications in late spring about a week apart, and treat the soil around the foundations of houses, along walks, fences, and around trees. Botanical insecticides should be used as spot treatments or crack and crevice sprays.
One possible control in dealing with earwigs is to mix insecticide soap with isopropyl alcohol and spray the infested area every two to three days for two weeks. To make this spray add 1 tablespoon of the alcohol to each quart of insecticide soap.
Another method is to trap earwigs in pieces of old hose or rolled up newspapers. Check these during day and shake the insects into a bucket of soapy water.
A very successful method to get rid of earwigs is to take a shallow, straight-sided container and fill it half full with vegetable oil. Clean out the bodies every day and you may reuse the oil as often as you like. We have found that this works particularly well in a greenhouse situation. "

also there is some info on how NE Indians planyed their circles of corn... in adobe format, scrol down to page eight, there are three different plans given:
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/complant.pdf


meanwhile, here is an interesting on-line publication on Organic Sweet Corn Production. You can request it in print FREE
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/sweetcorn.html

hope your corn gets better!
tf

This message was edited Aug 24, 2005 11:21 PM

This message was edited Aug 24, 2005 11:31 PM

Thanks for all the links and tips! I'm sure there are there are things here that will help me the next time I decide to try growing corn. The mention of a "greenhouse situation" also reminded me that the *^@* earwigs seem to really like the little greenhouse that I got from Harbor Freight. The smaller ones get right down into the spaces in the corrugated plastic panels. It seems to be their version of Acapulco. Maybe putting out a pan of oil inside the greenhouse would eliminate some of them when they ventured out for food.

let us know how it works out for you...