121 corn stalks in 32 square feet (Gardening (Container /Raised Bed/ Etc.))

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I planted 128 Early Golden Bantam Sweet Corn seeds in 2 SFG squares and 121 came up. Now to keep the defenses up against anny army worms. This is the first time I have tried corn in my SquareFoot Garden and I'm real happy with the results. I think that the SFG walkway configuration will lend itself to better defense as the walkway area can be used as a "kill zone" without affecting the raised crop area. I have even been considering building my concrete walks with a barrier foundation extending down at least 2 feet to minimize outside organism access to the crop area. If it makes it to maturity as well as its grown so far I may have to come up with a different saying than "knee high by the 4th of July". Maybe "Up to my buns before June is done" :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 11, 2001

Answers

Jay, my kids having been worried about our corn and have been running around saying our corn would not be knee high by the 4th of July. They like your new saying! OK now they are running around making up other rhyming sayings...that will keep them amused for awhile! Congrats on your corn! My husband has relatives in Huntsville. Are you close to Tennesee? I really like the Tennesee mountain areas!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 11, 2001.

Holy Botanical Gardening Batman,That's 3.78 stalks per sq. ft.!!!!! But,I just have a feeling you are going to get very weak production out of that many unless you load up on ferty.

-- TomK (tjk@cac.net), June 11, 2001.

Are you going to be feeding them with worm compost, Jay? How heavily? Keep us posted!

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), June 11, 2001.

Those corn plants are FAR too close together! Each corn plant needs a minimum of FOUR square feet PER PLANT in order to recieve enough sunlight on its leaves. Plants live on sugar which is formed partly from SUNSHINE falling on its leaves.

If you plant corn any closer than 4 sq feet per plant, you will have starved plants, which will not produce anything but skinny, tall, stalks stretching vainly for the sunshine!

I have done it, and have learned the hard way. No fertilizer can take the place of missing sunshine to a crowded plant.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 11, 2001.


Not to be picking a fight with my sister in the Lord, I have grown corn as close as 2 per sq. ft. in good soil fed with rabbit dropings and wormcastings worked into a raised bed before planting, and seaweed spray mixed with fish emulsion sprayed on 2 times per week. It was an early type thus short at maturity. It was an impure sort of bio-intensive way to grow and there was no adjacent shade. I have also planted over fish with 3 plants zig-zaged at 18" spacing with other kinds of plants in between ie; the corn is done before the okra needs the room and so on. Also it is hard to keep it watered well enough.

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), June 12, 2001.


Mel Bartholemews update on SFG in the 2/96 Organic Gardening advises the closer concentratiom from 1 to 4 seeds per square. For the closer concentration you do have to plant short stalk corn.For fertilizer I'm using wormcast initially and a grass tonic once a week.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 12, 2001.

Hope you have better luck than I did years ago.. Being a city girl never had a garden I decided to have one and tilled and worked my ground then made nice HILLS to plant my corn... First good wind blew them all down and I'm out there straightening up my corn rows while my husband ( who was garden friendly laughed his ass off ) needless to say I didn't think it was too damn funny at the time. Guess he though I'd be better off learning the hard way.... : ) memories ain't they great... Have a good day

-- Jacque (bojaq@lynks.com), June 12, 2001.

ok,, for those of us that arent doing SFG,, how good is it? Are the yeilds really that much better than just planting in lines??

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), June 12, 2001.

The higher yeilds are based on a "per square foot" or even square inch formula, takeing the total area of the garden all pathways included more surface area is producing food in a square foot style garden than in a tradional 'tractor' row type garden and once the beds are in place the labor involved is lower as well, money and labor is saved because only the soil that grows plants is worked and fed none is wasted on walkways. Another example is that a cantaloupe that grows 6 to 8 ripe melons can spread more than 12 square feet, if that plant were grown on a trellis it could produce 5 or 6 (maybe more, the difference is due to pruning) in just 3 or 4 sqare feet. Plus the fruit has no soil damage. Disease on the plants is less also because the plants are up in the air and dry more quickly. The only draw back I can think of is, it takes more attention and a daily basis. melons

-- Thumper (slrldr@aol.com), June 12, 2001.

Aside from the BISF nature of SquareFoot gardening and the pest and weed control as previous mentioned , other advantages are that mud is no longer a probem as you have walkways to work from and since your "row" is in an area 4 x 4 feet you can take a stool and patio umbrella for shade and comfort. The only tools needed for working a SFG plot is a water bucket, hand trowel, hand cultivator and a 4 ft wood rule or planting board. SFG lends itself nicely to an urban environment or to a person with arthritis or disability as the beds are easily accessible and can be made to accomodate wheelchairs, walkers or raised to waist level to eliminate bending.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 12, 2001.


My square foot garden (this is my first year) has totally knocked my socks off in production and ease of care. My broccoli have never been better (in spite of having to pluck green worms all the time), my lettuce just love in under the tomatoes that allready have set fruit (my caspian pinks, no less). Jay, my corn is doing great too, and I'll bet yours will. I also fed well rotted manure tea.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 15, 2001.

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