fooling outside corn rows into growing

When you have big field of corn, the outside 4 rows are always smaller than the rest. It usually starts at about 50%, then by about the 5th row it's the same height as the middle of the field.

Well, I am thinking about expanding my home garden and putting in 8-12, 50' rows of sweet corn next spring, so I can have fresh corn at the house instead of having to buy it from a roadside stand, or drive 100 miles round trip to get some from the farm.

I won't have anything but "outside" rows!

Any tricks to getting those outside rows of corn to grow and produce at 100%?

I"ve never planted more than 4 to 6, 50 foot rows of sweetcorn. Always on the south edge of the garden patch. I"ve never experienced any problems with getting it to produce. I give the entire garden a healthy dose of 12-12-12 fertilizer before planting. Also give the soil a generous helping of "SEVIN" granular insecticide.

I think our problem with outside rows is we don't get fertilizer
out to the edge so well, we don't control weeds quite so well
out to the edge, and we let grass grow right up to the corn
which steals N from the corn early on......

If we treat that outside row like an inner row, it actually should
produce better, as it gets more sunlight.

Lot of work on that in the past, strip cropping (not strip tilling).
Put 6-12 rows of corn, then 6-12 rows of beans, then corn. The
corn would yield better, but the beans worse. They even got to
putting different varieties of corn, a shorter corn outside, taller
ones in the middle of the 6-12 rows, so each corn plant would
get more sun.....

The loss of bean yield, and the difficulty with planting times
and weed control kinda set back the whole idea.

Paul

Which direction are you planting in? Outside rows on a North/South row planting are at the east and west sides of field and get 1/2 day of sun after field has sprouted over a 2 foot in narrow rows. Other thing is the outside rows some fields don"t get disked but do get extra compacting at times, don"t get the fertilizer side bleed like center rows. Lots of plantings on counter locally have full size stalks at edge-- but the fields next to road or ditch will have one or 2 short stalks. That is more the planter was putting edge rows in the least prepared soil. Older field in rotation with fences- the planter is not next to the fence and very few short stalks on outside. tear down fence and plant all across to ditch- then the outside short stalks appear. Give a bit more space toward edge of field like leaving open lane instead of planting in the area where tractor has passed over 6 more times than rest of field and less short stalks, do a load of manur around edge of field and before last disc pass and give outer edge rows a shot more organic material to hold water that dries out quicker at edge of field not shaded as much as center

I think most outside rows are not treated the same as the rest, shade weeds tillage and fertilizer. If you use a drop fertilizer instead of a spinning type it could help.

Several thoughts, at least pertaining to the "big field":

Alot of guys go out and "try it" a day or two early if it's too wet. When working ground, people usually start along one side of a field. This compaction/damage can add up after years, and may not appear to be all that different than a couple passes away of the tool.

Most local custom sprayers will not get any closer than about 2 rows from the edge of a field. More liability on their part for chancing doing damage elsewhere, especially on a windy day. Local fertilizer applicators will do about the same as well. Just a few weeds can absorb alot of what should be going to the crop, both nutrients and moisture, and it's more obvous if the fertilizer isn't there to begin with.

Take soil samples and also tissue samples from the plant and have them checked out. Cal-Phos. ratios, Nitrogen-Sulphur ratios, and others being off in the plant can make plants look horrible and sickly, and perform about the same. Just because a soil sample shows you having all of your ducks in a row doesn't necessairly mean the plant can readily absorb/make use of it, either.

Sometimes if large amounts of N are used on the planter as a starter, corn can almost drown in it in certain conditions, and excessive N can tie up absorbtion of other minerals. Cultivating cuts some roots off enticing others and new ones to grow, stirs the soil and nutrients around, and aerates as well.

You may also look into trace mineral packages and/or foliar-feeding programs.

We have trouble with the outside rows along public roads. Way too much salt ends up plowed out into fields by plow drivers that think their last name is Earnhardt or Unser. Foliar feeding, along with cultivating at least those rows, and even rolling over that area with a moldboard plow as soon as possible after the frost leaves in the spring has all shown a positive response in those rows.

AG

Cool! You said Unser, instead of Andretti! Good. Foyt would
have been acceptable too.

Paul

I have some great looking corn this year- even on the outside rows- until some fool took a four wheeler and ran around the outside of one of the fields and mashed down the outside row...

I have planted sweet corn on outside rows in the past with good yeild. But the last time I did this , the raccoons came in and pick the 4 outside rows clean.

Your gaden corn will grow just fine if you fertlize them. The corn in the big field isn't getting fertilized or sprayed for weed control. Missing 4 rows is a bit much one or two rows is more like it; means the outfit doing the work has a new or incompetent operator.
Two years ago I had 16 rows missed then the company came in a tried to correct the problem but blew that attempt of course and I was supposed to forget it. Last year same salesman, same company different operator came into my field and put down product i hadn't ordered. I just went to the boss and offered that they could change the salesman or I would change companies. This year new salesman but missed 4 rows so that talk is coming. And a visit with the competition.

Heck My outside rows are always shorter. JMHO I think they are that way because they take more wind. A couple of years ago I really noticed it. The wind was blowing 50mph when I started to open up a field, I got the first 6 rows off which were standing fine and the next 6 rows fell over, it went on 'til I got all the end rows off..

In my area(SC) often trees are around the edge of the field and the roots take nutrients and water away from the crop for varying distances, depending on the size of the trees.

KEH

Roger that.
Ron