Info on corn field growing.....

Here is a little info for everyone, coming from a veteran farmer. lol I posted this in another thread to help out another grower.......Thought this may help out a few others as the time for harvest closes in.

Depending on where you live,...typically in the northeast region of the U.S. harvest will be late Sept. to early Oct......
There are some twists to when harvest comes.....weather, variety of corn that is planted (corn is labeled by days....you have 90 day corn, 105 day corn, 120 day corn, etc..etc..) farmers around here plant later day corn first then through-out planting change to shorter day corn, that way it is all ready at the same time. (hopefully that makes sense).

Corn stalks will eventually dry out and turn yellow/brown. Typically it takes quite a while before the corn is ready to harvest..Ears typically (depends on variety) drop and point downward. This helps it dry. (The husks shed rain water, dew, etc.) Most farmers who harvest and truck directly into a grain mill harvest when the corn is around 16% moisture give or take a couple %. Farmers who dry their own may pick at slightly higher moisture and dry it down.

A quick and easy test to see if corn is ready to be harvested is to shuck an ear of dry corn (that means take the husk off lol.) hold the corn in both hands leaving a couple inches between hands, and twist the corn back and forth. If the corn squeeks while twisting, it is dry enough to harvest typically.
Hope this helps some corn field growers out! Just a few tips and tricks of the trade.

~Outlaw~

thank you for this info. I know I am not the only one who had to abort the cornfield grow.

Luckily I found a secluded spot in the woods with open sky for her to bathe in. My only dilemma now is hoping she will finish and mature by the time frost comes around.


thanks again outlaw, valuable info.

I fear my biggest problem is most of my plants are going to be quite a bit taller than the corn itself. I don't want it to stick out like a sore thumb from the air when the corn stalks die off. Several of my plants are (as of 3 weeks ago) the same height maybe slightly taller than the corn.....I couldn't reach the top of the plants (approx. 8ft) I topped about 1/2 of the plants 5 weeks ago, they were growing like crazy! I am going to try and check them out tonight if I get the chance to. All 100 of them! lol

Here is a picture of a gigantic fan leaf off one of the cornfield plants....The lady this came from is over 8ft. tall with 6 main colas. Wish I would have cloned this girl! lol



~Outlaw~

Sorry to bring back an old topic but I couldn't message you.

In the corn field, are you able to go see them often? Is it muddy any that would leave footprints?

What month do you start them inside before you can transplant outside?

Also, could a low flying personal airplane/hot air balloon see them?

Thanks for a reply. Just trying to get ready for my first grow.

NewThumb said:

Sorry to bring back an old topic but I couldn't message you.

In the corn field, are you able to go see them often? Is it muddy any that would leave footprints?

What month do you start them inside before you can transplant outside?

Also, could a low flying personal airplane/hot air balloon see them?

Thanks for a reply. Just trying to get ready for my first grow.

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I usually go check every few weeks.....It is a good idea to cover your tracks....I use duct tape on the soles of my boots.

You could start them around April or May depending on how big you want them at the time of planting.....the bigger they are when you plant them, the less the chance a ground hog etc. will eat them.

Once the plants get as tall as the corn, yes it is possible for them to be seen from the air......They really stand out once the corn turns brown. Early flowering plants I think are the way to go in the field....that way everything is still green when your plants are ready.

~Outlaw~

What type of strain did that Leaf come off of? They spray WAY too many chemicals on the fields around here. I stay 1/4 mile away, because the wind blows the shit everywhere.

outlawcustombikes said:

Here is a picture of a gigantic fan leaf off one of the cornfield plants....The lady this came from is over 8ft. tall with 6 main colas. Wish I would have cloned this girl! lol



~Outlaw~

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South Texas said:

What type of strain did that Leaf come off of? They spray WAY too many chemicals on the fields around here. I stay 1/4 mile away, because the wind blows the shit everywhere.

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I'm not sure what it is....came from some good bagseeds that a friend of mine gave me.

i couldve used this info along time ago, when i was 18 i had somewere around 25 plants growing, and two days before i got to harvest only 2 were there because around here the tractor cuts the bushes, grass, etc. around the fields, and it was in the corner of the field, but i was young and stupid.

How many stocks would I need to remove for it to just "fill the gap" so it would be less noticeable?

How far apart should they be? I'm thinking about having 2-3 a row, just walk down and back then go to next row.

Over here they don't wait for it to brown they cut it green.

NewThumb said:

How many stocks would I need to remove for it to just "fill the gap" so it would be less noticeable?

How far apart should they be? I'm thinking about having 2-3 a row, just walk down and back then go to next row.

Over here they don't wait for it to brown they cut it green.

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Silage fields would be a bad thing to plant in since they cut so early. Your plants would just be getting a good start and then they'd be chopped and fermented in a silo somewhere. I would pay attention and see which farmers in your area leave the corn out.

In a row of corn, I'd get rid of maybe 5 corn plants in that row and plant your plant in the middle. As they grow you can pull the tops of the surrounding corn stalks down to allow your plant more light.

I just got my Early Special and Early Misty seeds from Nirvana.....I'll keep these for corn fields this coming spring. These are suppose to be mature in August / September. I'll give them a try.

~Outlaw~

I was planning on buying some Early Misty for the corn field. I have another spot for this other strain I am getting.

Could I make it in time with Early Misty? I'm pretty sure they chopped it down sometime in early October.

There is on problem with growing in a corn field, corn loves (N) as much as weed does seems like there would be a lot of compition. Why not grow in a alfalfa field that plant makes its own (N).

How could I keep it low in an alfalfa field? I know some fields near me grow them.

outsidegrower said:

There is on problem with growing in a corn field, corn loves (N) as much as weed does seems like there would be a lot of compition. Why not grow in a alfalfa field that plant makes its own (N).

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NewThumb said:

How could I keep it low in an alfalfa field? I know some fields near me grow them.

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Don't grow it in alfalfa fields!! You'll be wasting you time. They cut alfalfa 3 different times during the season for hay.

~Outlaw~