Now this may sound silly, but has anyone else planted in a small plot where their corn has not germinated? This is the 3rd year I moved from one place to another, fresh seeds from RK ,well they claim to be. And nuttin at all I mean I thought bunnies or ground hogs or even chipmunks might be plucking them. I mean 2 packets something should have come up and the critters should have missed at least one. Taters onoins beens and peppers and maters are doing OK but I cannot get corn to grow,, some ideas cause i will even try for late corn at this point
Garden question
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BigG
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Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Have you been able to dig up any of the seeds you planted?
You might plant the seed into the starter pots that you can bury. Just to make sure they germinate.
You might plant the seed into the starter pots that you can bury. Just to make sure they germinate.
I used to have trouble and was never sure if a vole went along the row and ate them all or what. I also had trouble when I planted seeds too deep. Lately I have been getting seed from Johnny's Seeds and nearly 100% germinate. Directions say plant 3/4 to 1 inch deep. What I did this year instead of making a trench and dropping seeds in, was to start with damp soil and poke a finger in to about 1st knuckle at right spacing and drop seed in hole then firm soil. All but 1 came up. Doable in a tiny patch like mine. Am about to plant a second planting since first are now knee high.
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BigG
Well-known member
Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
When we had a large garden we planted 2 rows everyday. That way we had fresh corn for weeks. Brake over or cut off the corn as you pick it so there is no need to go back to the rows that are "done".
Big G in post 2 made a great point. Try to find your planted seeds and have a look at them. On a small garden even birds (especially crows up here) will find the seeds and eat them. If you've put down any chemicals for preemergent weeds or used roundup or other chemicals before the corn has sprouted that could be a problem. If the chemical isn't specifically labeled for sweet corn it could've caught the germinating corn at the moment the corn was most susceptible to it and killed it. Maybe RK is selling old packets of seed that weren't stored properly? It could be many possibilities. Along with the "too deep" and no moisture conditions. It's strange that not one plant has emerged.
Creature Meadow
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
2012 L4600, Disk, Brush Hog, GB60 Garden Bedder, GSS72 Grading Scraper
Crows like to walk along my rows and pluck my seeds and small plants.
I do not use preemergent in my garden but I do use it for my sunflowers along the wood lines. I spray it right after planting.
Corn I [plant 1 1/2" deep and for what it is worth!
Planted seed I bought this year and the corn, peaches n cream came up well and full of ears now.
I planted 4 more 60' rows and maybe 10% came up, right beside my other corn. It was last years seed, was that the problem not sure. It was dry when I planted but using my well I kept sprinklers on it and everything else continued to grow well showing no signs of the dry time we were in.
May be tough to ever know the reason, lot of the seed I buy has a date on the bag they pull it from.
I keep seed year after year and usually have good luck with them, this first year I recall planting prior year seed and it not coming up.
Heck I had some seed before my barn burned that was 3 generations old, but it was peas not corn that I would plant and save seed each year.
Good luck.
Jay
I do not use preemergent in my garden but I do use it for my sunflowers along the wood lines. I spray it right after planting.
Corn I [plant 1 1/2" deep and for what it is worth!
Planted seed I bought this year and the corn, peaches n cream came up well and full of ears now.
I planted 4 more 60' rows and maybe 10% came up, right beside my other corn. It was last years seed, was that the problem not sure. It was dry when I planted but using my well I kept sprinklers on it and everything else continued to grow well showing no signs of the dry time we were in.
May be tough to ever know the reason, lot of the seed I buy has a date on the bag they pull it from.
I keep seed year after year and usually have good luck with them, this first year I recall planting prior year seed and it not coming up.
Heck I had some seed before my barn burned that was 3 generations old, but it was peas not corn that I would plant and save seed each year.
Good luck.
Jay
I also had 100% germination in 7- 25ft rows. I order all my seeds from sandhill preservation. Maybe you are planting too deep? I don't fence my corn and have trouble with coons and deer....oh well no big deal to share some of the harvest.
I did a Till & Drill recently for a neighbor. He said when he and his wife talked about a new garden, his wife said oh, a free outdoor supermarket, the animals will love it..... So he figured the fence at the same time was in order.
Funny thought though - Your garden is "Nature's Supermarket"
Bmyers
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
Grand L3560 with LA805 loader, EA 55" Wicked Grapple, SBX72 BB, LP 1272 mower
Not an issue with corn, but with sunflowers for us. We can't raise sunflowers for anything. Thought we were doing something wrong.
Was looking where my wife had planted and the ground was all disturbed. She replanted, setup a trail cam and it was squirrels. They came along and dug up everyone of her sunflower seeds. They didn't mess with anything else we had planted. So, we have given up on planting sunflowers.
Was looking where my wife had planted and the ground was all disturbed. She replanted, setup a trail cam and it was squirrels. They came along and dug up everyone of her sunflower seeds. They didn't mess with anything else we had planted. So, we have given up on planting sunflowers.
For individual rows it works really well to make a portable fence cover with either 2x4 inch wire or garden wire....cut long pieces about 4 ft wide and 10 or 12 feet long and bend in a V shape with the bottom of the V on top prolly 18" high at the center....simply cover the row and protect your row, and remove for weeding....works well for green beans and carrots... etc.....for sunflowers it would protect till they are growing and then remove and let them grow. Might need to cover the ends from the pesky squirrels.
What was the ground temperature when planted? If too cold for too long, the seed will just rot. Seem to remember that ground temp should be above 65°F to plant corn.