What is a good fertilizer to use on the corn that I’m growing in my organic veggie garden? They look “wimpy”.
Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at
7:13 pm
I’d like to use an organic fertilizer. I have poor soil. =[
Filed under: Organic Gardening
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You could always do as Massasoit showed the Pilgrims, use fish. To be practicable for a moment, if as you say you have poor soil the first thing to do is introduce as much organic matter as you can. Do you live near a stable or farm where you can get plenty of manure, does your town collect the leaves every fall and compost them, all of those suggestions would be great for your garden. I would not suggest trying to use store bought peat moss, for one thing it is destroying the environment digging it up and two it oxidises and disappears too quickly. Good old farmyard manure is the best. Good luck and green fingers.
I see below that someone has suggested adding hay or straw to your garden, that’s a strictly no-no.In the decomposition of the hay or straw it will delete the nitrogen from you soil. It needs nitrogen to break it down, that’s why the farm manure must be well rotted and the leaves of course.
Can you get allot of small fish? A good source of nitrogen.
Going organic is commendable. But corn isn’t very healthy. It is a good source of fungus. That includes corn oil and any product with corn in it.
Sinus trouble is almost sure from fungus. Did you know that corn is not a vegetable ?
I use seaweed extract, which is available as a liquid feed, and is organic, otherwise you could add some chicken manure pellets, which work well.
As the summer continues, they should start to strengthen, and you could always add a top mulch of some compost or animal manure, which will help retain moisture, as well as help the plants as its fertilizer is washed down into the soil and roots below.
Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
Chicken poop is wonderful. And next year if you can get some dried cow manure Put in a pile and lite it. let it smolder all night.Then work the ashes in the top 2”.
I can’t find the site but I am going to try 9 hole corn planting. You dig a hole 2×2x2. In the bottom put compost , on top of that you put some green manure. Then cover with topsoil. Towards the edge plant 3 corn seeds , in the middle do the same , and the other outside 3 corn seeds. The article said corn comes out fab. I am going to try it tomorrow.
That may be the problem. You have added too much fertilizer. A soil test kit will provide you results on your gardens’ soil nutrients. Do follow the directions. After finding out the results that you do not have enough nitrogen; let me suggest the following:
Cow manure which has broken down. We call it rotted. It will be a dark, black color. Horse manure is okay but also has to be given the time to break down from it’s fresh state. When either is added to a garden in it’s fresh state it will "burn" any plants trying to grow.
Another source of nitrogen is fresh grass clippings. These are fine to add right away. Adding any of the above should be done when you till for the second time. Allow 2 weeks time on second tilling so ground could absorb the nutrient before planting.
The next time you decide to plant; take a hand trowel and push it into the soil where your garden is. More towards the center of it, and not necessarily towards the edges of the garden. If it takes some effort; you need more tilling. Adding hay or straw along with the fertilizer.When soil is compacted this will cause a small problem on transfer of nutrients, and growth of the plant. Roots need softer ground so the roots can spread out. When done; take a walk and see if it’s spongy. If so, your soil is aerated enough.
pH( alkaline or acid ) has to be considered also. pH can be found with the test kit. Afterward add a small amount of calcified lime(according to directions) to counteract the hays’ acidic properties. Corn likes a "sweeter" ground. You may look at the package and say "Lime is not organic". Just know that hay is a bit acidic when dried and lime comes from nature.
Corn needs a lot of nitrogen which you can get from composted chicken/turkey manure.
Since your soil is poor I would suggest building it up by putting several inches of compost on the beds 2 to 3 times a year, growing cover crops/green manures, at least in the fall/winter to be cut and turned in in the spring. Also mulching with leaves, straw, hay. etc.
Stay away from Wood shavings or chips as they will tie up nitrogen while they break down.
Until your soil improves (which will take about 5 years-real organic growing is not a fast process) foliar feed with fish emulsion and kelp mixed together and sprayed on the crops at least every 10 days.