This is how it’s looked every single time I’ve tried to grow any corn. The only consistent answer I’ve gotten is that I’m not watering enough, but I have some doubts about that.
That pale red soil looks nitrogen poor and alkaline. Needs compost or fertilizer worked in early. Corn is a heavy feeder. Mulch helps, too. Once pollen is up it’s probably too late to amend. Every time you grow something is an opportunity to do it better next time, though. Don’t be disheartened.
Thank you for the advice! Would a standard 10-10-10 granule fertilizer work or should I just do nitrogen? I am a total noob at corn so don’t be afraid to over explain.
You can use a balanced fertilizer (same number across NPK values, like 10-10-10) if that’s what you have. If you were buying something, I’d go with like a 6-3-3, or similar. Ideally, an organic fortified with ammonium sulphate (if my guess about your soil being alkaline is correct). There’s quite a few kiln dried manure products made this way. Might ask at a local turf supply shop. They’re gaining popularity and shops like that have large bags at good prices. Organic inputs tend to have micronutrients and supply what the soil bacteria need to improve the soil over time. They’re like concentrated compost, in a sense. Problem with compost is you need a lot of it, by comparison, but it’s better for soil health most of the time.
Spacing is pretty important, too. You want corn spaced about a foot apart.
I tried to attach a photo of some corn I grew last year… will see if that works.
2023 - 6 foot+ corn stalks a few weeks before harvestOkay this is all great info. This picture is from last year so I added limestone (my pH tested 4.5-5, this area was previously pines) and I added about 4 inches of wood chips. Also added a few inches of leaves. I’m nervous about fertilizer (mostly don’t want to overdo it) but looks like I’ll have to if I want to grow anything here lol. I heard that pines can really mess up soil. The soil was very compacted.
I do also have access to free chicken, cow and horse manure. Again I’m nervous to apply because I don’t want to overdo it and mess up the soil.
Yeah, fresh manure can be pretty hot/high in free ammonia. If you can mix it in yearly piles with leaf litter and shredded garden clippings, and then use last years pile it’s pretty safe. But, you don’t know how rich it is without experimenting. Mixing some aged stuff into planting areas like 6 weeks ahead of planting and then side dressing a couple times over the grow season is what I’ve heard others do, but I haven’t tried raw inputs like that myself. Not sure how much and all that.
Corn does need a fair bit of nitrogen to grow well, though. That much I’m sure about.Just saw the picture btw. Looks great! Hoping I can get somewhat close to that this year. Are you a professional farmer?
Thanks! No. Just a hobbyist with a fair bit of experience and a decent amount of education on things botanical.
Recapitulating ancient teosinte in my back yard
