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Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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Posted by
creativeguy Zone 6 Connecticut (
My Page) on
Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 11:50
| Anyone have a recommendation for the smallest practical block of corn that I can plant to ensure good pollination? I have a ridiculous number of raccoons in the area, and frankly I'm tired of the carnage that killing them has become. I mean, I'm as mad as hell when they wreak havoc in my yard and garden... but the yearly slaughter has just gotten to be a bit much for my personal enjoyment. Accordingly, I'll need to fence an area for the corn... hopefully as small as possible. I'm thinking of a series of small beds... say 4' square... for a few different varieties of corn. Is that a good sized block? I've never really grown corn successfully in the past... by the time ears formed, coons ate all (and I mean ALL) of them. That was a much larger block, so I'm wondering if I can make the smaller blocks work well. Thanks for your thoughts! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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I planted some corn first time last year. The seeds I had could be planted close to each other, so I had 18 plants on 3X6 bed. Basically every plat that survived (it was about half of them, the rest didn't make it to the flowering point ) gave me 1 -2 ears.
So I think you should be all set, but I found that planting different varieties on the same bed is not that good - at least mine were developing in different speeds, so stronger one just killed the other one, which was doing just fine alone. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| Get a scarecrow motion activated sprinkler. I don't have coon problems but deer devastate my garden. The sprinkler solved that. Back to the OP the corn needs room and pollination. 18 plants on 3X6 bed is too close. You can hand pollinate 18 plants very easily. So spread them out! |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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- Posted by digdirt 6b-7a North AR (My Page) on
Mon, Mar 24, 14 at 15:50
| You can do 12 x12 plants for fair production - the outside rows are less pollinated. More is better of course. And fences, when racoons want into the corn, aren't all that effective. They climb mine. Dave |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I feed mine bags of dog food and scraps and provide water. They never eat my garden. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| There you go, just feed the coons off your plate, they will never bother your garden again! Are you serious, guy? Buying bags of dog food for racoons, you are attracting them more than anything! Once you stop feeding them, they will leave the dinner table and go to the next closest area, your garden! How much dog food you go through, it aint cheap! |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| You can do as small as a 4x4 planting. I did two years ago and had fantastic pollination and just as the corn was filled out they exploded with smut. :( |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| Thanks for the replies, all. Dave, always appreciate the patience... seems like I always get a sound answer from you no matter how inane the question I ask. In regard to your raccoon climbing issue... I always seem to have some kind of leftover fencing on hand, and so I usually use it to put a roof over my beds. I "sew" the seams using wire or zip ties. Deer fence is the best because it's light and it comes in 7'6" wide rolls. I'll be using chicken wire for the corn "pen" because I'm already picturing those damned coons walking around on top of it looking for a way in! |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I would love to spread my 18 plants) But 3X6 it's all I can allow for them - this is not the crop I eat whole winter long, so I have to save the space in my garden for real feeders, that we still are eating now. (My whole yard is just 6000 sq feet including a house, fruit trees and a huge compost pile) Anyway, this is a special Burpee kind that allowed for sq foot gardening and containers, so I decided to give it a try, and we had enough for us to eat, because it gets ready for harvest at the same time anyway. Second crop was OK as well by fall. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| The rule of thumb is the knowledge that the outer plants may not polinate as well as the inner ones. That having been said, if you planted three rows X three rows only one plant would get guaranteed polination. If you planted a 4 X 4 rows block 4 plants would receive ideal polination; 5 X 5, 9 plants, etc. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| FWIW, I love to eat raccoon meat better than red meat. I would never want to kill one tho. We had some once as a mystery meat at a church dinner. If I had known what it was I wouldn't have eaten it. I thought it was black bear. They are quite common around here. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I'm a woman, not a guy. The raccoons were here first. It is human beings who are breeding wildlife out of homes and food, and they are welcome here. Money is no object. I am aware that the poster claiming to enjoy raccoon meat is merely trying to piss me off. I cannot imagine killing something/someone merely because they are hungry. Before someone chimes in telling me about diseases carried by raccoon feces, what's in yours? |
This post was edited by Deeby on Tue, Mar 25, 14 at 15:40
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| Wow! I must say. I enjoyed this whole chat about coons and corn. I think some of y'all might be crazy!!!!! |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| Deeby, I appreciate your concern and your passion. But I have had coons shred my chickens to bits, doing nothing more than ripping their heads off and leaving them dead. So, I haven't much sympathy for them. I don't know where you live, but here they are exceedingly plentiful, and have plenty of space and plenty of food. They come after people space and food because it's there and it's easy pickings, not because they need it. When I had problems with coons, I trapped them and then dumped them in the outback, as far as I could get them from my garden/chickens. Once they start, they'll keep coming back. I found that it was usually one. It seems based on the damage, it is a herd, but one can wreak havoc. Once I trapped it (tuna fish in a live trap seems irresistible) then I would be coon free for a while, until another moved in. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I don't understand why pollination is such a problem in square foot gardens. When I was a kid, everyone I knew planted their corn in rows. Usually only a couple of rows, and it doesn't seem that pollination was an issue. So I don't understand why it becomes a problem when they are planted in a block. Maybe the better thing to do would be plant one "row" in several of your garden beds. Maybe they are actually too close to pollinate well. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| As far as good pollination on corn goes, one stalk is the minimum to get good pollination. Has no one heard of hand shaking the pollen over the silks? |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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- Posted by jbclem z9b Topanga, Ca (My Page) on
Thu, Mar 27, 14 at 4:22
| I've been experimenting growing corn in containers...four plants in a five gallon container seems to work. I've been helping the pollination by shaking the tassels over the silks, but the problem with such close quarters is that the long leaves are always in the way. I have to fertilize very regularly, but I've produced some healthy looking stalks so I must have that right. The reason for this is so I can protect the young plants from squirrels...I have aviary wire cylinders around each container. I don't seem to have racoons, although I think I have flying rabbits. I also have a 4x5 feet garden box with a 6 ft tall frame around it, covered with chicken wire. I've grown popcorn in there (5 rows), and nothing larger than a skinny rat can get in. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| wayne 5 that is right on! I always shake my corn. My neighbor watched me once and shook her head at me and walked off. She told me later she didn't want to disappoint me but even if I shook all the bugs off they'd come right back. I tried to explain to her why I was shaking it but she just rolled her eyes. I plant mine in a 4 x 16 raised bed, two per square foot on diagonal corners. Works great! |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I want to hear about the flying rabbits. |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I am going to be planting corn in a 3x6 block this year as well so its nice to hear that is has worked for someone else. Like Galinas, for me corn is not a priority but a luxury and if i can have corn on the cob a few times this summer then great. I am in a new house and I am also worried about the raccoons. I suppose we'll see if they are an issue for me as well. In reply to the earlier poster, here in Utah raccoons are NOT native animals. Human beings have been in Utah far longer (thousands of years) than raccoons have. No reason to preserve or support a pest that humans introduced. I'm not saying i am remorseless... I feel regret when I have to kill any living thing. anyhow, i am planting corn in three rows of six this year and i suppose i will be out there shaking the stalks with the rest of you. jon |
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| I have had the same problem with raccoons in the past. I am now trying "The Three Sisters." The squash should deter the raccoons. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Three Sisters Garden
RE: Smallest block of corn for good pollination
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| So i think i am about to have some major pollination issues with my corn. I only plant 8 at a time in 2 sq feet. I always hand pollinate and never have had any issues, but this year it has been raining monsoon style during my pollination period and I can't seem to get any pollen to drop from the tassels. I was able to get a little dust in my glass only one morning and I think I was able to successfully pollinate only one set of silks. Does anyone know if the rain may have actually helped pollinate them by washing the pollen over the silks? by the way Her name was Magil and she called herself Lil |
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