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Feeding sweetcorn

ChriscoreChriscore Posts: 155
in Fruit & veg
I was wondering if i should be giving my sweet corn some kind of feed. I have read some places that if you are in good soil/compost then you dont need to give them any extra feed but i do feel like they could use a boost. Would tomorite suffice? and when would be the best time to feed them when the corns have formed or before? Its a lot of questions i know.

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I use a sprinkling of chicken manure pellets when I plant out my sweetcorn, because it's a grass and grass needs nitrogen  ... other than that I just ensure the plants are well watered, particularly when the cobs are forming.  

    I'll be interested to hear what others do. 

     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    Sweetcorn primarily needs nitrogen, so something like chicken pellets would be good to sprinkle around them.  Nettle 'tea' is ideal as a liquid feed for them if you want to be totally organic but takes a couple of weeks to make.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • ChriscoreChriscore Posts: 155
    Thanks Dove, that hadnt occurred to me at the time. I did however use some blood+ bone meal when they when in the ground. So hoping that will be enough.
  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    After putting some fish, blood & bone in the bed at the beginning of spring I don't feed the corn again, but this year I am trying to do the three sisters thing of growing sweetcorn, climbing beans and squash together. The beans are supposed to provide the nitrogen the corn needs and the big squash leaves keep the weeds down and stop any moisture evaporating away too quickly. They're all still babies at the moment, so can't say whether it's working or not.
    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I've run out of room in my veg patch and @WonkyWomble has given me some purple sprouting broccoli plants ... I think they're going to have to live between the sweetcorn ... at least the nitrogen will be good for them. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ChriscoreChriscore Posts: 155
    Thanks everyone for the responses!
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I tried growing beans between sweet corn.  It tied everything together and made harvesting  the sweetcorn a nightmare. The bean nitrogen isn't available this year, but next after the nodules have rotted down. I might try sowing some kale between them though. I use FBB at planting, and they might get the odd dose of nettle tea.
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