Fri 13 Feb 2009
One general rule on planting corn is to never plant it in cold or wet ground, because the seed will rot before coming up. Corn can be planted by two methods. Plant it right in the ground or start it indoors.
One method to start your corn indoors is to soak a towel in lukewarm water. Wring it out just enough so it won’t drip. Spread the corn seed on the towel and roll it up, with the seed inside the roll. Place the towel in a container and put it in a warm place. A place close to the ceiling hastens the sprouting, since heat rises.
Check the towel every day to see if it has dried out too much. If it has, sprinkle it with a little water. In a few days, the corn is ready to plant. Long white sprouts with tiny side hairs appear. Be very careful not to break these sprouts, because they are the corn’s roots.
Corn requires wind -or at least a breeze -for pollination, so it is best planted in blocks. Take advantage of the prevailing wind patterns in positioning the corn in your garden.
To make stalks, cobs and grains uses a lot of nutrients. So when it is about two feet high it helps to feed it again with manure or compost placed on top of the ground against the cornstalk for several inches. for by then the cornstalk is showing some roots above the top of the ground.
The corn will get top-heavy with its load of ears, and will topple over in a wind if it does not have some supporting soil piled up against each stalk. Also, pulling the dirt up against the stalk buries the side composting without disturbing the corn roots.
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