Growing corn in the country or garden: planting and care with video

Growing corn in the country is a common occupation of a modern gardener. There is no person indifferent to the taste of sugar grains. And why not boil the cob plucked from your own garden?

Crop is grown for grain in regions with long warm summers. Silage is planted everywhere. But breeders have developed varieties and hybrids for cultivation in problem areas. They produce quality mature grains.

Corn loves plenty of sunlight, warmth and structured soils. It is easy to fulfill these conditions. And then, at the end of summer, delicious fragrant food will be on the table.

Peculiarities of culture

Growing corn began in the southern regions. There is enough light and warmth. Soils are neutral and fertile. The crop produced consistently high yields with minimal labor input.

Grain was used to make soups, cereals. Bread and cakes were baked from flour. Surplus crops were fed to livestock and poultry. Even the stems went into action: they covered the plantings of winter crops, used them to hold snow. In the steppe regions they were dried and melted in ovens.

And now it is difficult to imagine a garden in the south of Russia, where this crop would not be planted. But now a resident of a problematic region can also decorate the site with green panicles.

Agronomists distinguish garden and field corn. The second contains less sugar, has more grain-filled cobs. Its productivity is higher. The first is sweeter, softer.Residents of regions with a lack of heat and light should grow garden. Seed producers mark it in a special way: they add the word "sugar" to the name.

What you need for this

Before you grow corn yourself in the country, you should evaluate the characteristics of the suburban area. Need to analyze:

1. Soil acidity. The plant prefers neutral. On acidic, liming should be carried out. Alkaline - acidify with peat.
2. Soil structure. The grass requires free penetration of water and air to the root system. On heavy loams and clays, carry out sanding (distribute a bucket of sand per square meter, dig it up).
3. The soil under planting should hold water. Light sandy loam is required to be clayed (put a bucket of clay per square meter, dig it up).
4. The fertility of the earth. In depleted soils, first add nitrogen, and then (after 5-7 days) - a complex of phosphorus and potassium.
5. Select a variety or hybrid, taking into account the duration of the growing season and the climatic features of the region.

Plant corn in the sunniest place. It should be closed from cold north and northeast winds. The southern wall of a country house is ideal. It is recommended to prepare such a site in advance.

How to choose: variety or hybrid?

Before planting corn in the garden, it is recommended to choose a variety or hybrid. Hybrids give a bigger harvest, are less exacting to climatic conditions. But their price is 30% higher. This is noticeable when buying seeds for planting in large areas.

Varieties tested by generations of gardeners. It is realistic to carry out your own breeding work: to select suitable types of plants. It becomes possible to have your own fund. Over time, you can make a collection of seeds of your favorite varieties.

Sweet corn hybrids are popular:

1. Madonna. Maturing term - early. The cob grows up to 200 g. The plant stretches up to 2 m in height. The grain on the cob is yellow.
2. Trophy. Medium maturity. Grows up to 2 m. Cob weight up to 280 g. Orange grain.
3. Legends. Early ripe hybrid. The weight of the cob is 250 g. It is pulled up to 1.7 m. The grain on the cob is orange-yellow.
4. Boston. Average maturity. The cob pleases with a mass of up to 200 g. The grain is bright yellow.

An attractive feature of these hybrids is a consistently high yield in the open field.

How to plant corn?

Before planting corn, a set of agronomic measures should be carried out. The final crop yield depends on this.

Soil preparation

Young plants cannot tolerate the presence of weeds. Even small aggressors can stop the growth of corn. Under conditions of a short period of heat, it will not be possible to get delicious fragrant cobs.

Prepare a place in the summer cottage should be in the fall. Ridges need to be dug up on a spade bayonet. Carefully remove the roots of perennial plants. Break up the clods of earth. If necessary, apply a complex of mineral fertilizers.

In the spring (after the snow melts) double disking with a flat cutter. The processing depth is 10-15 cm. A Fokin flat cutter or a regular disk cutter will do. This operation will get rid of perennial weeds.

How to sow?

It is important not to miss the timing of the "ripening" of the soil. It should be warm, sufficiently moist, well structured and fertilized. Failure to meet at least one condition reduces the desired yield.

Sowing corn should be done after the soil warms up to 10-15 degrees Celsius at a depth of 8-10 cm. This temperature is enough for seed germination. At the same time, returning spring cold should be excluded.

Soil moisture should be sufficient: when the soil dries up, moisten the ridge before sowing to a seeding depth (6-8 cm).

There are two ways to plant corn: in parallel rows or holes. The first option requires less labor. Country gardening is carried out on small areas. Planting corn in holes is more common.

Planting pattern: 70×70 cm. In limited areas, it is permissible to reduce the distance to 40×40 cm. Place maize in at least two rows: planting in one line will lead to insufficient pollination and the appearance of empty cobs.

Plant 2-3 seeds nearby. After germination, the strongest plant should be left. The rest needs to be weeded out. This measure will avoid voids in the garden.

You can lay dry or germinated seeds. In the first case, the time from sowing to germination will be longer. Sprouts will please with greenery faster. But the slightest cold snap will destroy tender plants.

Simultaneously with planting, mineral fertilizers can be applied. At a distance of 10 cm parallel to the row, a trench should be made 5-6 cm deep. Lay the complex in it according to the rate indicated on the package. Cover with earth.

Growing through seedlings

In small gardens, corn can be grown through seedlings. This will shorten the growing season outside. The method is popular when growing crops in problem areas.

Planting corn seedlings has some subtleties:

• plants require pre-hardening;
• seedlings are sensitive to soil moisture;
• the first 3-5 days after planting, you should cover the garden from the sun with white lutrasil;
• the plant does not tolerate damage to the root system.

It is important to prevent seedlings from stretching: excessive growth in low light weakens the corn.

Rules of care

No crop grows without care. The gardener should know:

• Nitrogen and Potassium consumption by corn lasts until cob full;
• phosphorus she assimilates before harvesting;
• the soil should be moderately moist, no overflow;
• maximum water requirement in a plant is observed during the formation of cobs;
• loosening is required every 5-7 days.

You should take care of pollination: plant nearby plants that attract bees.

Some gardeners use the stretch planting method. The main mass of maize is placed on the bed in a block. And after 3-4 days, several seeds are sown. Shoots appear with a difference of several days.

Further growing season of corn is also different on the same days. Male and female flowers ripen at the same time. Extended planting reduces pollination risks.

Good and evil neighbors

This crop produces good yields when replanted over corn. The advantages of this placement: the ridge remains free of weeds (an adult plant oppresses them), you do not have to look for a warm and lit area, and redevelopment of plantings is not required.

But to increase productivity, it is recommended to take into account predecessors. Good for corn are: legumes, melons. The plant feels bad after oats, rye, wheat. Gardeners plant them as green manure. But cereals behave like aggressive weeds: the soil after them is heavily clogged.

Hard-working gardeners have found an interesting solution to save country space. They plant corn in the same area as cucumbers, beans, beans and pumpkins. The stiff maize stalks support the vines and protect them from cold winds.

Pumpkins or zucchini placed between rows of corn with wide leaf plates protect the earth from drying out. It has been observed that the yield of corn grown in this way is higher than that of conventionally planted corn.

Recommended