Vegetables – for Every Season There Are Vegetables

Q. I planted two rows of corn, separated by some peas, but one row closest to the fence never came up. I replanted that row and now one row of corn is really struggling while the other, closest to the peas, is doing well.

Corn is pollinated by the wind, not insects. A lot of corn plants close together will increase the amount of pollen in the area and improve the chances of having ears that are full rather than spotty.

A. Amend the garden soil with compost to improve drainage. Poor drainage can cause a lack of germination. Lightly dust the seed with Captan fungicide to improve seed germination when planted in cold or wet soils. Tear a corner of the seed packet and place a small amount of fungicide inside and shake it. Always wear gloves when planting seed treated with a fungicide.

My staff in Afghanistan treating wheat seed for better germination. Protect your hands and your mouth when handling fungicides used for seed treatment.

            I strongly encourage you to not plant the same type of crops in the same area as previous years. Instead, plant in new locations in the garden bed and rotate them back to this spot only after 3 to 5 years. This technique helps keep plant diseases minimized.

Planting sweetcorn in raised beds requires the right time of year, a good plant density for pollination. Here sweetcorn is planted 12 inches apart in blocks.

            Mixing woodchips into the soil before planting can also cause poor seed germination. Corn needs lots of nitrogen fertilizer when it’s growing. The rotting of woodchips in the soil also requires a lot of nitrogen fertilizer so make sure enough nitrogen fertilizer has been added to the soil to fuel both growing corn and rotting wood chips.

Corn is more closely allied to grasses than other vegetables. Like grasses, corn is a heavy feeder of nitrogen fertilizer. A slight change in the color green in the leaves will tell you if nitrogen fertilizer should be applied. Let the plant tell you.

            Peas are a winter crop while corn is a summer crop and they should not be planted at the same time in the spring unless you are prepared for a short harvest of peas. Also, sweet corn needs more than two rows planted for for its kernels to fill out the ears properly because it is wind pollinated. Plant at least four rows of corn rather than only two. Plant corn in small blocks rather than rows if the area your planting is small so the ears fill out better.

Cornsilk receives the pollen shed by the top of the plant. If temperatures are too high, poor pollination results. This is seen by missing kernels in the ears. Each kernel is connected to a silk. Every silk must receive pollen for a full ear of corn.

            Both corn and peas have large seeds so try presoaking large seeds, sometimes called pre-germinating, before planting to get faster germination. They should soak long enough for the seeds to swell with water. Soak large seed in tepid water for several hours before planting. This allows the seed to start the germination process without planting. But it’s important to plant them at the right time of year; peas in the fall through winter months for a winter crop and corn in mid spring or late summer for an early summer or fall crop.

This is where the pollen comes from at the top of the plant called a tassel.

            When pre-germinating seed, mix a small amount of your favorite water-soluble fertilizer into the fresh water, along with a tiny amount of liquid soap. This speeds up germination. When seed absorbs water at the very beginning, called imbibition, the fertilizer will be taken inside the seed with the water and early growth is more rapid.

This is what everybody hopes for, a full ear of corn. This is a variety called Silver Queen. It's a lot of work to get here.