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Corn is traditionally a southern crop, therefore it is grown on an industrial scale only in regions with a favorable climate. However, in the middle lane, you can grow it at their summer cottage. Planting corn with seeds in open ground is not difficult, but there are quite a few nuances of cultivating this crop.
How long does corn grow
Corn is an annual herbaceous plant of the Cereal family. Its growing season lasts from 3 to 5 months, depending on the variety. Powerful erect stems can reach 3 m or more. Grain seeds ripen at the end of the shoot.
They are quite large, round-cubic, tightly pressed to each other, collected at the end of the shoot in the so-called cob. Seeds grow in even rows, each cob can contain up to 1 thousand grains.
The best predecessors of corn
The best predecessors for corn are cereals and legumes. On an industrial scale, these cultures often alternate with each other. In the garden, cereals and legumes (with the exception of peas, beans and beans) are grown quite rarely. Therefore, usually corn seeds are planted after potatoes or tomatoes, and in the south – after melons.
Terms of planting corn in open ground
Heat-loving corn is planted with seeds in open ground only after the soil temperature reaches + 10-14 ° C. Usually this time falls on the end of April or the beginning of May. If by this time the soil does not have time to warm up to the desired temperature, then you can try to grow corn in the country in seedlings. To do this, the seeds are germinated at home, and then, when the temperature reaches the required values, the seedlings are planted in open ground.
According to the lunar calendar 2019
Many gardeners are guided by the lunar calendar when planting seeds of various crops. Indeed, the phases of the moon have an impact on the growth and development of plants. The table below shows the recommended dates for planting corn seeds according to the lunar calendar.
Month | Auspicious days | Bad days |
March | 7 – 20 | 3,5,31 |
April | 6 – 18 | 5 |
May | 6 – 18 | 20,29,30 |
June | 4 – 16 | 3,11,25 |
Depending on the variety
There are quite a few varieties of corn. Like other garden crops, it is divided into several groups depending on the timing of ripening.
- Early. The growing season for such corn lasts 75-85 days. This includes varieties and hybrids such as Trophy F1, Jubilee F1, Landmark F1, Lakomka 121.
- Mid-season. Varieties of this group ripen in 90-100 days. This group includes Delicacy, Pearls, Mermaid.
- Late. Ripens in 100 or more days. These varieties include Bashkirovets, Polaris.
Depending on the purpose of growing
Depending on the purpose, all varieties of corn are divided into the following types:
- Sugar. Used for food and cooking.
- dentate. It is characterized by a high content of starch. Used for technical purposes.
- Siliceous. Grown for livestock feed.
- Muchnistaya. It goes to the production of starch, the production of molasses and bioethanol.
- bursting. Due to the special structure, the grain bursts when heated, forming a soft white substance. The main purpose is the production of popcorn and other confectionery products.
- The film. It is grown exclusively for fodder purposes.
Corn is also subdivided according to sugar content, seed color and some other parameters.
How to plant corn in the garden with seeds
Seed corn can be planted both manually and with the use of technical means. Before planting, you need to decide in advance on the place of cultivation, since the site will require preliminary preparation. It is also worth assessing the weather conditions and the possibilities for caring for plantings. It is also necessary to take care in advance about the acquisition of seeds, which must be inspected before planting, and, if necessary, culled.
Selecting a landing site
The best place for planting corn seeds will be a bright, well-protected area from the cold wind with loose, fertile soil. It is optimal if there are plantings of pumpkins or legumes nearby. Wide pumpkin leaves well protect the soil from overheating by sunlight, and legumes enrich the soil with nitrogen, which corn needs for normal growth.
Soil preparation
Corn prefers loose fertile soil, so it is best to start preparing the site for planting in the fall. It is necessary to dig it up, select the roots of weed plants, and also apply fertilizer – rotted manure. In the spring, the soil must be re-loosened and cleared of weeds. When the required temperature is established on the street, it will be possible to start landing.
Soaking and germinating corn seeds
Before planting, corn seeds are kept in the sun for several days, after being wrapped in a piece of cloth. After warming up, they are disinfected. To do this, they are immersed for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, diluted to a rich pink color. Then the seeds are washed with clean water and dried. After that, they are germinated. To do this, the grains are placed on a clean plate, alternating layers of seeds and gauze, which is moistened with water from a spray bottle.
Seeds placed for germination are cleaned in a warm dark place. There the plate can be for several days until sprouts appear. It is only necessary to monitor the temperature and maintain the necessary humidity. Germinated seeds are planted in open ground. If for some reason it is not possible to germinate the seeds, they can also be planted in dry form, having previously been subjected only to disinfection with a solution of potassium permanganate. In this case, the similarity will be worse, and the sprouts themselves will appear later.
Scheme of planting corn in open ground
The correct planting of corn seeds, depth and distance between rows depend on the chosen scheme. The most commonly used single rad, double or lower case.
Single Lane
With this method, the seeds are planted in 1 row, planting the seeds to a depth of 7-8 cm and placing adjacent holes at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. This method does not create problems in care, it is quite simple to visually observe the plants.
double row
Double row is the best way to plant corn in terms of pollination. With this method, two single rows are placed on the bed, the distance between which is 0,5 m.
line row
Otherwise, this method is called square-nested, or chess. In this case, when planting in open ground, a gap of 0,3 m is left between adjacent plants in a row, and 0,6 m between rows. Seeds are planted to a depth of 10 cm. This method ensures ease of care and uniform illumination of plantings, but requires large sown areas.
Planting corn in the spring in the country – in a short video at the link:
Seeder for planting corn
To grow corn in the country from seeds, it is not necessary to use a seeder, it makes sense only with a significant amount of sown area. It is unlikely that such an aggregate will be needed when planting seeds in a small area, if only 1-2 beds are planned for this crop. If a large area is allocated for it, then in this case it is impossible to do without mechanization. Planters for corn are manual, trailed and mounted. The first are driven by muscle power and are designed for small areas. The second ones are towed by self-propelled machines (tractor, walk-behind tractor) or hung on them. With the help of such devices, large areas can be sown with seeds in a short time.
The advantage of seeders is not only speed and productivity. The mechanized method makes it possible to more accurately observe the norms for sowing corn seeds in open ground, optimally placing them on the field and planting them exactly at the desired depth. This significantly saves planting material, and also increases productivity.
What can be planted next to corn
The space between adjacent plants can be used to grow other plants such as beans. Peas will feel good in a corn field, tall stems will serve as an additional support for it. For the same reason, you can plant corn next to cucumbers. This method is a good alternative to growing cucumbers on trellises. Grow well next to corn pumpkins and zucchini, as well as potatoes.
High stems of plants give a fairly strong shade, so light-loving crops next to them will systematically receive less solar energy. This will oppress them. It is not recommended to plant the following plants next to corn:
- beets;
- celery;
- white and cauliflower;
- sweet and hot peppers;
Tomatoes also do not tolerate proximity to corn. This culture is a pronounced egoist, therefore it is grown separately from all other plants.
Care of crops of corn in an open ground
The technology and conditions for growing corn in the open ground in an industrial way do not require mandatory measures for the care of crops after planting the seeds in the open ground. The only exception is the treatment of plantings from pests and diseases. However, when growing corn on a personal plot, especially in an unfavorable climate, some activities will be quite useful. These include:
- weeding;
- watering;
- loosening of the soil;
- top dressing.
If all activities are carried out on time and in full, then it will not be difficult to grow a good corn crop on the site, even in a not very suitable climate.
How often to water corn
Watering corn in the open field is necessary only during dry periods. It should be rare, but plentiful. Drip irrigation also gives a good result, but its arrangement requires significant costs.
Additional fertilizing
The need for top dressing is determined by the color of the leaves. A pale green color indicates a lack of nitrogen, a purple hue indicates a deficiency of phosphorus. A lack of potassium leads to deformation of the leaves and staining of the leaf blades in brown. To avoid such problems, top dressing is applied in doses, observing certain time intervals.
The first time the plants are fed 2 weeks after germination with infusion of mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. After the appearance of 5-6 full-fledged leaves, the procedure is repeated, using a solution of ammonium nitrate as a top dressing. The third top dressing is carried out in another 15-20 days, using complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
Loosening and removing weeds
Weeding of crops of corn is carried out, as a rule, only at the initial stage of its growth. Tall plants with powerful stems and deep roots will do a good job of suppressing weeds. It is worth regularly loosening the soil, destroying the top crust for better air access to the roots. In adulthood, when the root system grows strongly, loosening is stopped so as not to damage the roots located close to the surface. Before this, the plants are spudded to increase the number of adventitious roots and retain moisture.
Protection against diseases and pests
Despite the fact that many varieties have good resistance to diseases, plants can get sick in an unfavorable climate. The danger for them is primarily fungal diseases. These include the following:
- powder head;
- bubble head;
- fusariosis;
- stem rot;
- southern helminthosporiasis.
As a preventive measure, the seeds are treated with fungicides. Often, the disease develops on unharvested plant debris, so it is very important to put the beds in order after harvesting, removing all excess green mass from them. Affected plants are also to be destroyed.
One of the reasons for the occurrence of diseases is the appearance of insect pests on plantings, which can be carriers of fungal spores or pathogenic bacteria. The most common pests on corn are:
- stem moth;
- root aphid;
- swedish fly.
They fight insects by spraying plantings with fungicides, insecticides and biological agents.
When to Harvest Corn
There are two types of corn ripeness: dairy and biological. Upon reaching milky ripeness, corn grains become soft, their color becomes light yellow. At the same time, it is still quite difficult to separate the leaves from the cob. Cobs with caryopses in the stage of milky ripeness are best suited for cooking and canning. If the grain is intended for technical purposes or for processing, then you should wait until it is fully ripe. The ripened corncob is easily peeled from the leaves, and the grains in it have a bright saturated yellow or orange color.
Conclusion
Planting corn seeds in open ground will not be difficult even for an inexperienced gardener. Further planting care is also simple. If there is some free space on the site, it is quite possible to take it under the cultivation of this cereal. After all, boiled corn on the cob is a favorite dish of many, especially children.