"Old Timer" wrote in message
...

On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 04:45:51 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:

Well, for some reason this year my corn stalks didn't produce anything.
No
tassles and just a little bulge where there should be an ear. Anyway, I
am
assuming it's because of a lack of pollination.

My question is, what do I do with the corn stalks? Can I just bury them
in
the soil and let them decompose there? Would they be sufficiently
decomposed by next spring?

My recollection goes back to the late 1930's on the farm, and I can
never remember corn not producing because of a like of pollination.

Now I am not talking about hybrid corn, which got popular in the late
40's where we were(but you had to buy your seed each year and we
didn't use it at first).

Here is what we did with stalks. First we "striped fodder" from the
ear down, we bundled it and put it into the barn for cattle and horse
feed. then we "cut tops", just above the ear and shocked them for live
stock feed. After the corn had cured, we pulled the ears and had a
"corn shucking"(a gathering of friends and neighbors to shuck the corn
, feast and sometimes a dance.

Then we cut and gathered stalks and burned them. That is the way we
controlled insect and disease. The only chemical we ever used was
Bluestone(copper sulfate) that we put in next years seed corn to keep
out weevils .

Corn is one of the easiest things to grow (provided you have a
reasonable amount of moisture). You can raise it in pure sand, or
heavy clay- -if you use commercial fertilizer. Next spring, if you
like, lay you off a 100 ft row,

Just one row?

sprinkle 1 cup of a balanced
fertilizer like 10-10-10, it will be very thin.

1 Cup per 100 ft? Hmm, I put 10-10-10 in when I planted but it was more
than that.

work the fertilizer
into the soil good, and then plant your corn. Use a corn that is
recommended for your zone in the seed catalogue .

Yep, did that. Checked with the local coop too.

When the corn is
knee high, rake you a small ditch along side the corn and apply 1 cup
of ammonium nitrate, and cover it with dirt (this is called "siding".)
After the first rain your corn will turn a very dark green and grow
very rapidly. If you want to increase your yield, side again with
10-10-10 when the first tassels show.(1 cup). Oh yes, plant your corn
as thick as you like, but thin it to 6" or more after it is all up
good.

Now you have a good day, and don't give up on the corn. The Old Timer.


Thanks old timer!

On Wed, 10 Aug 2005 01:15:14 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:


"Old Timer" wrote in message
.. .

On Sun, 07 Aug 2005 04:45:51 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:

Well, for some reason this year my corn stalks didn't produce anything.
No
tassles and just a little bulge where there should be an ear. Anyway, I
am
assuming it's because of a lack of pollination.

My question is, what do I do with the corn stalks? Can I just bury them
in
the soil and let them decompose there? Would they be sufficiently
decomposed by next spring?

My recollection goes back to the late 1930's on the farm, and I can
never remember corn not producing because of a like of pollination.

Now I am not talking about hybrid corn, which got popular in the late
40's where we were(but you had to buy your seed each year and we
didn't use it at first).

Here is what we did with stalks. First we "striped fodder" from the
ear down, we bundled it and put it into the barn for cattle and horse
feed. then we "cut tops", just above the ear and shocked them for live
stock feed. After the corn had cured, we pulled the ears and had a
"corn shucking"(a gathering of friends and neighbors to shuck the corn
, feast and sometimes a dance.

Then we cut and gathered stalks and burned them. That is the way we
controlled insect and disease. The only chemical we ever used was
Bluestone(copper sulfate) that we put in next years seed corn to keep
out weevils .

Corn is one of the easiest things to grow (provided you have a
reasonable amount of moisture). You can raise it in pure sand, or
heavy clay- -if you use commercial fertilizer. Next spring, if you
like, lay you off a 100 ft row,

Just one row?

sprinkle 1 cup of a balanced
fertilizer like 10-10-10, it will be very thin.

1 Cup per 100 ft? Hmm, I put 10-10-10 in when I planted but it was more
than that.

Most people over fertilize: You can add more later but you can't take
away, once applied. Think of your fertilizer as you would a bottle of
Asprin: Two tablets will cure your headache, four will upset your
stomach, and the whole bottle might kill you.

Anyway, all we are trying to do at first is give the corn a start, the
real kicker is the Ammonia Nitrate, the second application of
10-10-10 is to insure that the plant has the correct nutrients to
produce a good crop.

Have a good day-Old Timer


work the fertilizer
into the soil good, and then plant your corn. Use a corn that is
recommended for your zone in the seed catalogue .

Yep, did that. Checked with the local coop too.

When the corn is
knee high, rake you a small ditch along side the corn and apply 1 cup
of ammonium nitrate, and cover it with dirt (this is called "siding".)
After the first rain your corn will turn a very dark green and grow
very rapidly. If you want to increase your yield, side again with
10-10-10 when the first tassels show.(1 cup). Oh yes, plant your corn
as thick as you like, but thin it to 6" or more after it is all up
good.

Now you have a good day, and don't give up on the corn. The Old Timer.


Thanks old timer!