Sweet Corn Weed Control

So the questions is what to use? Is there something commercially available to the general public that will kill the weeds not the corn? The ideal solution would be go buy 20 gallons of weed-b-gon at wal-mart. Economics are not really the issue. And surrounded by golf courses and farmers spraying 1000"s of gallons of the "good stuff" enviro-friendly is not too big of a concern either.

FYI: 3010 Diesel Deere, 2 bottom deareborn plow, 4 row 494 deere planter, 4 row 3pt cultivator. Tractor and plow from grandpa"s collection. planter a free gift if i promised never to return it. cultivator about $40 on auction.

I plant aprox one acre of corn the rows are little larger than usual I use a little 20 inch walk behind Troybilt rototiller I can then pass close to the plants and it is a good walking exercice for me. Done that for several years and like it.

My 2¢

Joe Ferguson

Got just tool for ya, JD 400 rotary hoe, selling for my grandfather-in-law. Email me if interested. By the way a 3010 on one acre is my kind of horsepower per acre ratio. LOL Have fun, Alex

Where I live in New York - culivating is just about impossible due to very heavy weed growth and rocky soil. I've been using - before planting a good dose of Roundup. Then, after planting but before the corn gets to a two-leaf stage - a mix of Bicep Lite II and Prowl. It works very well for full season control.
For a two acre plot I use 5 qts. of Bicep Lite II and 3 qts. of Prowl with 52 gallons of water.

As other mention, work the ground & plant into it. If you get lucky on timing, disk your growund, catch a rain, wait 3 days, harrow the ground to bust up that first flush of weeds & plant right after the harrow. Takes a bit of luck tho, this will make a lot less weeds as you get the first flush dead.

As the corn is just starting to lift the ground, harrow it - you can use a spike harrow, or a rotory hoe, or a spring tine harrow. This will not hurt the corn, and it will put a bunch of white roots on the surface - these are little weeds trying to sprout.

Then every 7 days, cultivate it. First time you will need to barely move or have rolling shields on the cultivator or dirt will cover the corn. If you start seeing 3-4 inch high weeds, you are lost. You need to be using the cultivator in good looking ground.

The last time through (3rd or so cultivation) you want to drive a little faster or change the shanks some, to throw dirt between the corn plants & smother some of the weeds growing there.

When the corn is thigh high it sure isn't hard to hoe out the troublesome weeds from an acre of corn - if you worked it right with the cultivator to start with.

--->Paul

Before using any chemicals, I think you need to learn a lot more about what you are doing. You are kinda the reason us farmers have less & less access to products like atrazine, an the paperwork is getting more & more difficult.

Used properly these chemicals do a good & safe job. Buy a jug & spray it on willy nilly and it creates problems for all of us.....

Glysophate kills most green things (Roundup, etc.)

24d is becoming a restricted use product because it is bad for our eyes & we should wear eye protection. It kills broadleaves, and will harm corn after the 6th leaf appears or if applied too heavy.

Atrazine kills grasses but it likes to linger around a while before breaking down & goes through sandy soil into water supplies so keeps getting more & more restricted.

Dual keeps tiny seeded weeds from sprouting, won't affect green plant so much tho.

All of these need to be applied at the right time to do the right thing in the right amount.

--->Paul