corn questions...

[trunkman]

I will start a used shaving compost pile next time I clean the coop to be on the safe side. So till I've aged the compost enough I'll have to use some kind of organic fertilizer or buy a truckload of compost...

 

[seedcorn]

Agree with advice given. Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder. Any type of fiber will tie up nitrogen.

A suggestion for corn is apply a foliar nitrogen right before pollinating. Some new work indicates that the tips aborting may be from lack of nitrogen at pollinating time. Since pollinating happens (should in a healthy situation) in a few days, fill start should be the same way. Once kernels start filling slower, they have a high probability that they will abort as well.

 

[so lucky]

Something to consider if you choose to use an organic lawn fertilizer on your corn, Trunkman. Years ago, I was told that the fertilizer named Milorganite is made from sewer sludge from Milwaukee. That is why it was ok to sell for lawns, but not for gardens. I just looked it up and now it is approved by the EPA to use on home gardens, but if the idea of "humanure" is distasteful to you, you might want to find something else. The article I read said the vegetables grown from it could not be labeled "organic."

 

[momofdrew]

Every spring before I till I spread bone meal, green sand, & blood meal onto my garden then I top dress with well composted compost later on....I also will foliar feed with liquid seaweed or compost tea... you might want to have your soil tested to see what your spacific soil needs in the way of nutrients...

 

[ducks4you]

The other problem with using fresh chicken manure on your corn is the risk of disease. Organic guidelines require that it be composted for 120 days for just that reason. It can also burn your plants. I would personally find a good organic fertelizer to use. Another option would be already composted manure, you might be able to get some from a horse stable if you have one nearby.

Being a horse owner it is ALWAYS a good idea to check with local stables to see if they'll let you clean up from their piles. My 3 horses produce about 1 large wheelbarrow full of just manure every 1 1/2 days. It takes about 4 months for piled up manure to break down enough to not burn most crops.
Bring duct tape and see if they have any grain bags to use to fill. Almost all grain now comes in plastic bags, easy to fill, easy to tape shut and very sturdy.
I've had my horses in my back yard since October, 1999, and we horse-owners are ALWAYS moving manure, every month of the year. We try to keep our pastures clean of manure to keep down their parasite loads--bloodworms (strongyles) are the worst and they pick them up while grazing.
I have monitored my piles--I use Equine Fresh, fluffy pine shavings, fine pine shavings/sawdust and wheat straw--it takes 5 years for the fluffy pine shavings to break down into dirt. All they will do is help areate the soil.
I deep bed my chickens area, so it only gets cleaned up 2x in the winter. I pile THAT up elsewhere--I have 5 acres, 4 of which is pasture/turnout--to use next year, or move to my beds before I put them to sleep for the winter.
I have been piling my stall waste onto my sweet corn plots for 2 years now. I stop about February, then move in fresh soil on top and that is what I plant my corn in. This gives my corn a LOT of food to grow on, and my crops have done very well this way.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Exactly! We got 3 truckloads of free composted manure last year, just by asking. It made my veggies so happy. Of course, we've moved since then so I have had to start all over. I still drive by the old house occasionally and the new tennants have a very vigorus crop of weeds in our old garden beds this year.

 

[ducks4you]

Sooner or later you end up declaring war on the weeds. LOL