Corn is a herbaceous, heat-loving plant, which is grown by many summer residents. Of course, in order to get a good harvest of this wonderful crop, certain agricultural techniques must be followed. First of all, you need to choose the right one. You should also decide where exactly it will grow on the site. And, of course, during the growing process, this crop, like any other, needs to be properly fed and watered.
general description
Corn is an annual plant. In nature, there are only 6 varieties of it. However, only this variety, depending on the variety, can reach a height of 1.5-3 m as a garden and agricultural crop. Unlike most other representatives of cereals, the stalk of corn is not empty, but filled with tissue. Its thickness is usually 3-7 cm.
In the lower part this plant forms supporting aerial roots. The leaf length of corn can reach up to 1 m, and the width - up to 10 cm. The flowers of this plant are unisexual. The male ones are collected in panicles and grow at the very top of the stem. Female flowers form cobs located in the axils. The color of corn seeds is usually bright yellow. But there are also varieties with white, red or black grains. The shape and size of the seeds of this crop may vary.
Popular varieties
Corn is a southern plant whose cobs take a long time to ripen. Therefore, for the Urals and Siberia it is worth choosing mainly its early varieties. The most productive hybrids, producing harvests by mid-August, include the following:
Sugar F1.
Sundance F1.
Also, under certain conditions, at a dacha in the middle zone you can get a good harvest of mid-season corn. Such, for example, as:
Lingonberry.
Late varieties of this crop are mainly suitable only for Ukraine and the southern regions of the Russian Federation. The most popular corn hybrids of this group are Russian popping and Polaris.
Variety Sundance F1
This powerful early-ripening hybrid produces mature ears within 60-65 days after planting. Sundance F1 grain is usually used for food at the stage of milk maturity, fresh or canned. Good feedback This variety was received by summer residents, first of all, precisely for the excellent taste of the cobs. The Sundance F1 hybrid is also praised for its drought and frost resistance. However, this variety does not like shading and poor soils. Corn is sown (photos of it can be seen below) Sundance F1 in early May.
Hybrid Trophy F1
The growing season of this variety is 75 days. The Trophy F1 hybrid should be planted in a well-lit place, without thickening. The ears of this variety are very long (up to 23 cm) and sweet. The grain has a honey color. You can eat cobs either fresh or boiled. Some housewives also preserve grain of this variety for the winter.
Sugar F1
It's very popular good variety corn, the fruits of which begin to ripen already 70-80 days after planting. The grains of the hybrid Sugar F1 are very tender, juicy and sweet. The cob of this corn has an average length (up to 20 cm). The variety has earned its popularity not only for its good taste, but also for its resistance to diseases such as bladder smut.
Hybrid Lingonberry
This mid-season corn begins to ripen 85-89 days after planting. The cob of Lingonberry is quite short - 18 cm. But the grain of this variety is very large and has a pleasant bright yellow color. Like many other varieties of corn, Lingonberry does not tolerate shade at all. A site for it should be chosen with light, fertile soil. Lingonberry cobs are best consumed boiled or canned.
Hybrid Pearl
The ripening period for this corn is 80-85 days. Its cobs are of medium length (up to 20 cm) and have a bright yellow color. You can use Pearl corn grains for cooking or canning. The advantages of this hybrid for summer residents, among other things, include high productivity and resistance to various types of fungal and bacterial diseases.
Corn Mermaid
This variety is perhaps the most popular among summer residents of middle-income Russia. Its main advantage is considered to be simply phenomenal resistance to disease. There is almost never any need to treat Rusalka corn. The ears of this variety begin to ripen 80-90 days after the first shoots appear. Their length is average - up to 20 cm. The color of the seeds of corn of the Rusalka variety is lemon.
Late varieties
The Russian bursting hybrid ripens 90-95 days after planting. Its cob is very thin and has a conical shape. Characteristic feature variety is popcorn popcorn. Russian popping prefers soils that are light, fertile, and well-moistened. This variety is usually grown for flakes and puffed corn.
Long (up to 23 cm) ears of the Polaris hybrid are excellent for canning and fresh consumption. This variety is valued by summer residents, among other things, for its resistance to diseases and aging. Polaris grains are long and have excellent taste. This corn should be planted on light, fertile soils.
How to choose the right place
Corn is a crop that primarily prefers very well-lit areas. Therefore, it is usually planted on the south side of the garden or vegetable garden. At the same time, the largest harvests can be harvested by placing corn on a hill. The best predecessors for this culture are:
How to prepare a garden bed
The area chosen for corn should be dug up in the fall. At the same time, manure and phosphorus fertilizers should be added to the soil. It is advisable to improve acidic soil with lime, chalk or dolomite flour. In the spring, before planting, the bed for corn only needs to be loosened a little.
When to sow
IN open ground usually done immediately after the air temperature outside warms up to +12 C. In Ukraine and southern regions In Russia it is approximately the end of April. In the middle zone, sowing is usually done in mid-May. In the Urals and Siberia, the best planting time is considered to be early June. A sign that it is time to sow this plant is the presence of cherries.
Corn is a relatively unpretentious crop that can be grown either using conventional technology (planting directly into the ground) or using seedlings. In the latter case, the seeds are placed in cups with pre-prepared soil mixture in mid-April (for the middle zone). You can take regular garden soil and add well-rotted manure to it. It is not recommended to keep cups with seeds in a very warm room. Good corn seedlings can only be obtained at an air temperature of no more than 20 degrees. It is best to install cups on a south window. If the seedlings are not enough sunlight, she will begin to stretch out and grow very weak.
How to properly prepare seeds
Before planting, corn grains should be placed in the sun for about 5 days. Then they need to be placed in warm water for an hour. Next, the seeds are dried. Before planting, it is advisable to dust the grains with hexachlorane or granosan according to the instructions. This will prevent infection of young seedlings by pathogenic microorganisms, fungi or harmful insects.
How to plant correctly
It is highly not recommended to be late with sowing corn. This can lead to a significant reduction in yield. The depth of seed placement during planting on light soils should be 6 cm, on heavy soils - 4 cm. The optimal distance between individual plants for most varieties is 35 cm. The only exception is very tall corn. Seeds of such varieties are planted at a distance of 45 cm from each other. The space between the rows of corn should be approximately 70 cm. Place 3-4 grains per hole. Thinning is carried out after 7-8 leaves appear on the plants. At the same time, the strongest bush is left in the hole.
How to water corn
The soil under this crop should not be moistened too often, but abundantly. After watering, the soil under each plant should get wet by at least 10 cm. Under no circumstances should the soil in the beds be allowed to dry out too much. Half-empty ears and low yields are the main consequences of insufficient watering of a crop such as corn. The photo below clearly demonstrates the result of overdrying plants.
How to feed
The first time corn is fertilized approximately 20 days after planting. In this case, a solution of mullein prepared in a ratio of 1:11 is usually used. You can also water the plants with diluted bird droppings (1:20-25). Additionally, it is worth adding phosphate-potassium fertilizers to the soil. This will be especially useful if the corn leaves become wavy around the edges. This form indicates a lack of potassium.
Weeding and pinching
Corn is a plant whose weeds usually have to be removed only in the first couple of weeks after planting. This culture is very strong and takes a lot of nutrients from the ground. Therefore, no weeds usually grow under it. In the phase of active development of green mass in corn, it is necessary to remove the side shoots. The fact is that they take a lot from the plant vitality. And this, in turn, greatly affects productivity.
After the corn grows to about 20-30 cm, it is advisable to mulch the soil in the garden bed. It is best to use well-rotted horse or cow manure for this purpose. You can also cover the soil under the plants with regular dried grass.
Harvesting in the country and harvesting corn for silage in the fields
When is the best time to pick the cobs is, of course, a matter of taste for the owner of the plot. Some people like their sweet corn unripe. Others prefer ripe, cooked cobs. In any case, it is not recommended to store fresh corn for too long. The cobs should be eaten or preserved no later than 20 days after they are picked.
At the dachas, the harvest grown is, of course, simply collected by hand. Farmers who cultivate this crop over large areas use special machines for harvesting corn. This technique is something like a small combine harvester with a special header. The cutting device is usually located in front of the machine. Since corn is usually grown on agricultural land for livestock feed, it is cut off completely - the green mass along with the cobs.
Maize is a well-known corn. Many people are familiar with this crop as sweet corn, a plant belonging to the family of cereal plants. The maize genus has four cultivated species and two subspecies of wild maize.
Description of maize (corn)
Maize or corn - annual, herbaceous plant, growing up to six meters high. The stem is dense and hard without the internal cavity that other plants in the grass family have. The trunk reaches a diameter of 8-10 centimeters. Aerial support roots grow from the lower joints, which is associated with the great height and power of the plant, which has to be held vertically in this way. The leaf is lanceolate-shaped with small cilia along the edge, up to ten centimeters wide, and its length can be up to a meter. This plant has flowers of different sexes.
Maize is a monoecious plant; it has both male and female female flowers. Male flowers are panicles located at the top of corn stalks, and female flowers are cobs located in the leaf axils in the middle part of the plant trunk; during the flowering period, stamens, or corn silks, hang from the cobs. Corn blooms, as a rule, in the month of July, subsequently forming a grain of golden yellow, reddish or greenish color. From one cob you can collect up to a thousand seeds.
Maize cultivation
Mexico is recognized as the birthplace of maize - it has been grown here since ancient times. Maize was widely cultivated by the Aztec and Mayan tribes, as evidenced by historical documents that have come down to us. On the European continent, this culture became known only in the 15th – 16th centuries. Today, this crop is in third place in the world in terms of acreage occupied by it.
Countries such as the USA and China are leaders in modern world for growing different varieties of corn. World prices for maize are gradually increasing, which makes this crop profitable for cultivation. Interest in corn is due to the fact that modern technologies make it possible to obtain ethanol from this crop, which, due to the increase in the cost of oil, has become in great demand on the world market.
Today, maize is in great demand when cultivating hybrid varieties– and the yield is higher and more resistant to plant diseases. The main hybrid varieties differ not only in the shape and size of the seeds, but also in the starch composition of the seeds. The most popular today are tooth-shaped varieties, which have a small depression on each grain - in such varieties the percentage of hard and soft starch is 50% to 50%. The most popular varieties among them are:
- Siliceous maize - contains mainly hard starches, ripens quickly, is grown in the northern regions,
- Popping maize is a type of flint maize, but with smaller, rounded seeds that burst when heated and are used to make popcorn. The demand for them is growing.
- Starchy maize - the grains are round, do not contain solid starch, so they are used to make flour.
- Sweet corn, a plant whose main wealth is its high content of dextrin, an easily digestible sugar, is used for preservation.
Composition and beneficial properties of corn
Maize or corn grain contains quite a lot of carbohydrates (up to 70%), vegetable proteins (7-15%), fats (5-7%), amino acids (lysine, tryptophan). The composition also includes glutamic acid, which plays an important role in metabolism and is especially necessary for regulating the activity of the brain and heart. Glutamic acid is also used in the treatment of diseases associated with human mental disorders. Another important point is that glutamic acid - component folic acid - an essential hematopoietic substance.
Oil obtained from corn, in addition to being excellent taste qualities, contains unsaturated fatty acid and vitamin E. With constant consumption of corn oil, cholesterol levels in the blood decrease. For preventive and therapeutic purposes, it is recommended to consume at least 70-75 grams of corn oil per day with the development of atherosclerosis. “Corn silk” also contains a lot of useful substances, such as fatty oils, bitter glycosidic compounds, essential oil, various alkaloids and flavonoids, sitosterol and saponins, gum, vitamin C, vitamin K, stem substances. They also contain trace elements necessary for our body - manganese, chromium, aluminum, iron, copper, etc. Corn silks are collected during the ripening period of the cobs (but the best grains are those collected during the period of milky ripeness), they are dried in a well-ventilated place, in the shade or under a canopy.Corn is a plant that belongs to those in which almost all parts are used in various branches of medicine and cosmetology, in addition to being eaten. For medicinal purposes, not only grains, corn silk or other parts are used, but also corn starch and oil. Many of us love to eat boiled milky corn, but not everyone knows about the benefits of water after boiling this corn and throws it away. Drinking one glass of this water three times a day will normalize metabolism and improve health.
Corn oil is simply necessary for older people and patients with diabetes - it reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. Corn silk infusions are indispensable for blood purification, as an antitumor, diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Corn silk is also used to clean the bile ducts, destroy stones in gallbladder and their subsequent output. Corn cob infusions are used to treat pneumonia and tuberculosis. Water-insoluble corn fiber is used in some dietary supplements (dietary supplements).
Corn is an environmentally friendly product. The plant does not accumulate nitrates; its use as food product or medicine safely. The grain contains almost all the substances and compounds of potassium salts, iron, magnesium and phosphorus that our body needs, an digestible form of calcium, B vitamins, as well as A, PP, and C.Corn has such a remarkable property as preventing the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and malignant neoplasms. It also does an excellent job of cleansing the body of waste and toxins. This plant is indispensable for preventing the process of premature aging of the body. Corn is also useful for children - it helps them gain weight well, while supplying the growing body with the necessary microelements and essential vitamins. It is an excellent source of carbohydrates and minerals in a form that is easily absorbed by the body.
If gastrointestinal pathology, obesity or metabolic disorders of the body are detected, drugs made from corn are also used.Medicinal properties of maize (corn)
The medicinal raw materials of corn are the stem, leaves, roots, whole cobs and corn silk, which are most widely used.
IN folk medicine This plant is used as follows:
- to prevent atherosclerosis – Drink two tablespoons of maize oil before meals in the morning and evening.
- to normalize blood pressure – make a decoction of fifty grams of corn silk in one liter of water. Boil for no more than 10 minutes, let cool, filter and take half a glass three times a day. Or they take one tablespoon of corn grits and pour a glass of boiling water, wrap the container with this solution and leave it overnight, and in the morning filter it and drink it before breakfast. Take it for a few days and your blood pressure will return to normal.
- for gastritis They recommend porridge made from corn grits or pureed soup made from it.
- pancreatitis, obesity or activity impairment nervous system Treated with a decoction of corn cobs. They take corn of milky ripeness and cook it without clearing the cob of leaves and corn silks. Drink a glass of the decoction three times a day.
- increased intraocular pressure
- It is proposed to treat as follows. Take twenty grams of dry corn silk, pour 200 milliliters of boiling water and leave, wrapped in a container, to steep for forty minutes. After this, the resulting solution is filtered and drunk half a glass three times a day after meals, after at least two hours.
- if you are overweight take a decoction of corn silk. There is more than one decoction recipe for weight loss purposes. The first is to take one teaspoon of dry corn silk, grind them, pour a glass of boiling water and boil for one minute on fire. Allow the broth to cool and then filter. Drink 1/3 glass 15-20 minutes before meals. The second recipe is to take four tablespoons of corn silk and pour one glass of boiling water. Let cool, strain, drink the resulting infusion a tablespoon half an hour before meals three to four times a day. When using these recipes, a decrease in appetite occurs, the feeling of hunger is dulled, but most importantly, the metabolic balance is restored, which is mainly the cause of excess weight.
- for gallstones drink an infusion of corn silk, which is prepared according to the following recipe. Take one tablespoon of dried corn silk and pour one glass of boiling water and leave for one hour, then filter and take a tablespoon three times a day.
- with inflammation of the gallbladder – prepare a decoction of 25 grams of dry, well-chopped corn silk, which is poured into an enamel bowl and filled with 0.5 liters of water. Place the dishes on the fire, bring to a boil and let simmer for half an hour. Then the broth is cooled, filtered and drunk a quarter glass every three hours. The treatment is effective, although long-term. This decoction is a powerful choleretic agent.
- during treatment diabetes mellitus
make a decoction from a mixture of several herbs. Take ten grams of crushed corn silk, five grams of immortelle (we use only flowers), ten grams of peeled and crushed rose hips, five grams of blueberry leaves - mix everything thoroughly. Then pour one tablespoon of the resulting herbal collection into 1.5 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then remove from heat and let it brew for an hour. You should take 1/3 cup three times a day. The product is effective and has been used in folk medicine for quite a long time.
- sand in the kidneys is removed using a decoction of corn silk. Recipe No. 1: 1 table. l. crushed corn silk, pour half a glass of water and boil for an hour, covered with a lid. then strain and drink 2 tablespoons on an empty stomach four times a day. Recipe No. 2: pour 10 grams of dry corn silk with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for two hours. Wrap the container. Drink a tablespoon of infusion on an empty stomach three times a day.
- with a diseased liver – Brew corn silk as tea and drink until it feels better.
- for muscular rheumatism – brew one full teaspoon of corn silk with a glass of boiling water and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes, then strain and drink one glass twice a day for one and a half to two months.
- for chronic hepatitis make a decoction and drink one tablespoon every three hours. You can also drink one tablespoon of corn oil on an empty stomach in the morning. The decoction is prepared according to the following recipe: 1 tbsp. l. dry crushed corn silks are poured with a glass of boiling water for an hour. Let it brew, strain and drink.
- in case of dysfunction of the kidneys and organs of the urinary system You should take fifty grams of decoction before meals. The decoction is prepared as follows: pour 3 tablespoons of corn silk with a glass of boiling water and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Cool, strain, add boiled water to the original volume.
- for the treatment of eczema and lichens They use juice obtained by hot pressing of corn grains.
- with diarrhea – corn kernels are fried with honey and eaten.
- for the treatment of pancreas, metabolic disorders or nervous disorders They use a decoction of white varieties of milky-ripe corn on the cob, which is boiled without removing the wrapping leaves and stigmas. You should drink the decoction one or two glasses three times a day.
- for ocular hemorrhage or glaucoma Brew 15-20 grams of dry, well-chopped corn silk with one glass of boiling water and leave for 40-60 minutes. Then filter thoroughly and take three tablespoons three or four times a day.
- with hematoma you need to make lotions from corn broth.
- for itchy skin Mix corn and dill oil in the ratio: add one part of dill to thirty parts of corn oil and rub into the skin two or three times a day until the itching goes away.
- at hay fever or migraines You should drink one tablespoon of corn oil with meals.
Infusions and decoctions of corn silk act as a bile thinner, reducing the density and amount of bilirubin and effectively affecting the production of bile and its movement along the ducts. In addition, they increase blood clotting and are used when there is a lack of platelets in the blood. These drugs help increase platelet production and speed up urine excretion. Corn silk preparations are an excellent remedy for inflammation of the gallbladder, cholangitis or hepatitis, bleeding, as well as kidney stones and dropsy. Maize oil normalizes cholesterol levels and restores liver function. Traditional healers use corn to cleanse the body of tapeworms and other worms.
Corn oil is used in medicine and cosmetology. Masks containing corn oil are used to treat skin, hair and nails; the oil is used to treat burns, cracked lips and skin, and is also used for allergic rhinitis. Maize oil is recommended by nutritionists for patients suffering from hepatitis, cholecystitis, and diabetes; it has a positive effect on the entire body, helps digestion, stimulates the liver and gall bladder, and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. The oil, due to its high content of vitamin E, perfectly regulates the functioning of almost all endocrine glands. The body becomes stronger and stronger, and its resistance to gene mutations that occur under the influence of harmful environmental factors increases.Corn flour is a wonderful remedy for anemia and intestinal dysfunction, an excellent choleretic and diuretic. Studies of the medicinal properties of corn flour have shown that it not only restores blood circulation, but strengthens the cardiovascular system and prevents the aging process of the body.
In addition to the above wonderful properties, corn flour cleanses the entire human body not only of waste and toxins, but also of chemical elements and fat. It also has a positive effect on strengthening teeth and gums and improves the elasticity of blood vessels. Corn bread is recommended for tuberculosis patients and intestinal disorders.
Contraindications
There are practically no contraindications to treatment with drugs made from maize (corn). They should be used with caution only by people suffering from varicose veins or increased blood clotting.
Corn, Maize (Zea mays)- an annual plant of the Poa family, grain and fodder crop.
Homeland - Central and South America.One of the oldest cultivated plants on Earth, incapable of self-seeding and going wild. It was first introduced into culture in Mexico by the ancient Mayans and Aztecs (about 5200 BC). The probable ancestor of cultivated corn is considered to be the common weed plant Mexican teosinte (Euchlaena mexicana), which is similar in appearance to corn. It was brought to Europe at the end of the 15th century, and has been cultivated in Russia since the 17th century. The range of corn is from 58°N. up to 40°S..
Corn is a light- and heat-loving crop, quite drought-resistant, and does not tolerate shade, especially in the first half of the growing season. The growing season is usually 90-150 days.
The plant is monoecious with dioecious flowers (the spadix in the leaf axils is the female inflorescence and the panicle at the top of the stem is male), cross-pollinating. Male flowers bloom two to five days earlier than female flowers.
Color of corn grains: yellow and white, sometimes orange, pink, red, black. From 500 to 1000 grains are formed on the cob.
The corn plant has a powerful root system. Adventitious roots are formed at the bottom of the lekgo stem. The stems, depending on the variety, reach 0.8-2 meters in height. Leaves are lanceolate, vaginal.
Depending on the properties of the grain, corn is divided into 7 subspecies: sugar, flint and tooth-like (most common in Russia), starchy, popping (popcorn), waxy (less common) and filmy (not used in industrial crops).
Corn cobs have excellent taste and nutritional properties.
Corn grain contains minerals important for the human body: potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus salts. Its protein contains the essential amino acids lysine and tiptophan. Sweet corn is rich in vitamins E, B, PP and ascorbic acid. The germ of the corn grain, which occupies almost a third of the grain, contains 35% fat.
Corn is a plant with many uses. It is used in the food industry (flour, cereal, corn flakes and sticks, corn oil rich in vitamin E, etc.), starch, brewing and alcohol industries. Corn stalks, cobs, and their wrappers are used to produce paper, linoleum, viscose, insulating materials, film, and much more. Corn silage and crushed canned cobs (along with grain) in milky-waxy ripeness are valuable comas.
Pistil stigmas are used in medicine. Extracts from corn silk have the property of stimulating the liver and gallbladder, increasing urination, and are recommended for cystitis and as an aid in the treatment of kidney stones and hepatitis.
Corn belongs to the large cereal family. This annual plant, reaching a height of two meters or more, consists of a straight, strong stem with a large number of wide ribbon-like leaves, male flowers on the tops in the form of panicles and female flowers in the axils of the leaves in the form of cobs. The root part is powerful, the roots are located in diameter about 1 m, and in depth - almost 2 m.
Boiled corn cobs are a real delicacy and a very nutritious dish for many. After all, a vegetable plant, or rather its grains, contains a large number of useful substances - proteins, oil, vitamins, amino acids, carotene and carbohydrates.
Corn cultivation
Corn is a heat-loving and moisture-loving vegetable crop. Favorable temperature for seed germination is from 8 to 13 degrees Celsius. The landing site should be protected from cold northern winds. At proper care and weather conditions that meet the plant’s requirements, the crop can be harvested approximately 2.5-3 months after emergence. The rate of ripening of corn cobs directly depends on the total number of warm days (with a temperature of at least 15 degrees Celsius).
The soil in corn beds should be fertile and nutritious. To enrich its composition, it is recommended to use mineral and organic fertilizers. The plant responds well to the addition of humus to the soil. In areas with acidic soil, lime must be applied. For 1 square meter of garden area it will require from 300 to 500 g.
A cereal crop can produce good yields for several years in the same area. Before planting seeds, it is recommended to carefully dig up the soil. The depth of tillage is 1.5-2 shovels. After the young plants appear, the soil around them needs to be loosened and hilled.
Seeds are planted at the end of spring (approximately from the second week of May), when the soil on the land plot warms up to 8-9 degrees Celsius. The planting depth of seed material is 5-6 cm, the distance between plantings is 30 cm, and the row spacing is at least 50 cm. On heavy soils, the planting depth is minimal, and on sandy and sandy loam soils it is deeper. Experienced vegetable growers recommend sowing 3 seeds in one hole at once, one of which will be dry, the second will be swollen, and the third will be sprouted. This method makes it possible for seedlings to appear under any vagaries of weather. If the sprouted seeds fall under late night spring frosts and die, the remaining planting material will correct the situation. When shoots appear, the strongest specimens will need to be left from all seeds and the rest removed. Flowering begins 6-7 weeks after germination.
Soil care
The soil in corn beds needs timely loosening and regular weed removal. After precipitation (about 2-3 days), as well as after watering, the soil must be loosened throughout the entire growing season. Depending on the density of the soil, such procedures will require from 4 to 6.
Watering
A heat-loving and drought-resistant vegetable plant responds well to watering in hot and dry weather. Each young plant requires about 1 liter of irrigation water, for an adult - 2 liters. The average soil moisture level is 80-85%. Exceeding this level can lead to the death of the root system and growth cessation. If there is an excess of moisture in the soil, the color of the green leaves of corn will change to a purple hue.
The time for planting seeds for seedlings is mid-May. The optimal growing location is nutrient cubes or small film pots.
The composition of the soil mixture is 1 part sawdust, 5 parts slightly decomposed peat, 20 g of mineral fertilizers.
The hardening procedure begins 5 days before planting the seedlings in the beds. In the first 2 days, young plants are placed outdoors in the shade, gradually accustoming the seedlings to sunlight.
Planting seedlings in open beds at the age of 2-3 weeks is carried out in the first week of June.
With the seedling method of cultivation, the cobs ripen by the beginning of August, and with the seed method - by the end of the month. Each plant has 2-3 ears. It is recommended to leave the earliest specimens for seeds. The cobs along with the leaves are stored in a cool room in a suspended state.
Corn: basic planting rules, care, watering, fertilizing (video)
Ph.D., Art. scientific co-workers Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture named after I.V. Michurina, scientific secretary of the Academy of Non-Traditional and Rare Plants, member of the All-Russian Society of Genetics and Breeders of the Russian Federation
Ornamental corn is an annual cereal crop that differs from traditional corn in the variety of colors of the grains on the cobs, both individual grains and whole cobs, as well as much more pleasant-looking leaf blades.
Is ornamental corn edible?
Basically, decorative corn grains contain an excess amount of starch, they are quite hard, and even when cooked, the cobs are considered unsuitable for food. The grains of such corn can be used to make popcorn, as well as to make corn flour.
It is permissible, however, to eat decorative corn grains, but only when they are at a very young age, that is, in a state of milky ripeness.
Use in garden design
Decorative corn can be used in design in any way you like, if we're talking about about living plants with beautiful leaf blades and original multi-colored ears. They can be planted either solitary on the site, or made into hedges or framing paths, positioned in such a way that they do not shade neighboring plants, because the height of even decorative corn can reach more than 2 meters. In the fall, you can collect the cobs and decorate the kitchen with them, creating original design solutions, of course, if the style of the kitchen allows the use of vegetables in the design.
Growing decorative corn
Agricultural technology for growing rows decorative varieties sometimes differs from general corn farming practices. The common thing is that ornamental corn is a plant that loves warmth, loving open places, well heated by the sun, but at the same time reliably protected from the north wind and drafts. As for the soil, decorative corn loves soil with sufficient fertility, air- and moisture-permeable, and necessarily with sufficient moisture.
Decorative corn, like regular corn, is propagated by sowing seeds in the ground; this, of course, needs to be done in soil that has been dug up in advance with a shovel full, removing all weeds and simultaneously adding a couple of kilograms of well-rotted manure, a tablespoon of wood ash and teaspoon of nitroammophoska per square meter.
The optimal time for sowing seeds is May or April, if spring is early and the soil has already warmed up quite well (+5 ... +11 o C). The seeds are buried 5-7 centimeters, carefully sprinkled with soil and watered from a watering can, using a bucket of water per square meter of soil.
It is better to sow fresh seeds, but if you are not sure of their quality, then you can play it safe and, before sowing, warm the seeds on a southern windowsill for a couple of days, and then 2 hours before sowing, soak them in a cloth soaked in any growth stimulant, for example, Epin , Zircon, Heteroauxin and similar drugs, strictly following the instructions on the package. It is better to soak in water heated to room temperature.
When sowing, try to leave a distance between the seeds according to the further purpose of the plants. So, if you want to create a picturesque hedge or a curtain wall, then it is advisable to leave a distance of 20 cm between the seeds. If you want to get fully developed cobs to decorate your living space with them or to taste them, then the distance between the plants needs to be doubled.
When the soil is warm enough, seedlings usually appear after a week, and sometimes a little more. Usually not all seeds germinate - about 75-80%.
Further care includes regular watering, especially during dry periods of the year, improving the soil with complex mineral fertilizers, loosening the soil and controlling weeds.
Watering should be done as the soil dries, always taking into account the weather outside the window. If it's raining, and the soil is saturated with moisture, then watering is not necessary at all. If there is no rain for a long time, then watering can be done every evening by pouring a bucket of water at room temperature per square meter.
Approximately starting from the second half of summer, when the corn has formed a sufficiently powerful root system, you can water it every other day, again focusing on the weather.
As for fertilizing, it is most appropriate to carry it out during the period when the corn is blooming, as well as at the beginning of the formation of cobs. The best option here is to use nitroammophoska dissolved in water. During the flowering period, you need to dissolve a teaspoon of nitroammophoska in a bucket and use the entire resulting solution, pouring it under each plant. And during the period of ripening of the cobs, double the dose of fertilizer, at the same rate of consumption.
Loosening the soil and controlling weeds should be carried out as necessary.
Corn, depending on the variety, can be decorative both throughout the season, if we are talking about variegated leaves, and during the ripening period - when the grains on the cobs acquire an attractive color. The cobs ripen, becoming as decorative as possible, usually towards the end of September.
Varieties of decorative corn
Over the years of breeding work, many varieties of ornamental corn have been developed, but given that in our area the demand for ordinary corn is not very high, the demand for varieties of ornamental corn is even lower. Therefore, we will present varieties that are easy to purchase at any garden store.
Magic Kaleidoscope- its cobs, alas, are not suitable for food. The variety is distinguished by the fact that it produces cobs in which the grains are painted in almost all the colors of the rainbow. The grains are very dense and have a high starch content. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests. Seeds can be sown at standard times. The plants are used as an attractive hedge, and the cobs are often used to decorate the interior; they hang without damage until the next harvest.
Amero- a very tall plant, it can reach a height of 2 m. The plant has stems literally covered with ribbon-like and variegated leaves - stripes on the leaf blades can be colored green, yellow, pink and red. Plants of this variety are ideal for group plantings, for an attractive hedge or for hiding some unsightly part of the site.
Grains in milky ripeness can be eaten, they are very tasty, even though they are also multi-colored, with a pearly tint, but they contain less starch than in the previous variety.
The peculiarity of the variety is that the seeds germinate slowly. Before sowing the seeds, you need to warm them up on a south-facing windowsill for a week, then soak them for a day, placing them in a cloth moistened with water at room temperature with any growth stimulant dissolved in it.
Sowing seeds of this variety should be done no earlier than mid-May, the soil should warm up to 7 degrees Celsius to a seeding depth of 7 cm. Further care is standard.
Gem– the ears of this variety are small, the grains in them are small, and all of different colors. The grains are arranged in a checkerboard pattern with a predominance of colors such as yellow, snow-white, black and brown.
The variety loves the most fertile soils, always with plenty of moisture, and areas open to the sun.
The variety is good as a backdrop and hedge, for framing unsightly buildings, as a background crop, as group plantings or edging paths.
Strawberry- reaches a height of 2 m. The variety is very demanding of sufficient heat, loves nutritious soil and plenty of moisture. You need to sow seeds only in the most open and well-lit place, but always protected from the cold wind.
In milky ripeness, the cobs can be used for food; their small grains in ripeness have a ruby-scarlet hue, and the cobs themselves from a distance resemble strawberries.
The seeds are slow to germinate, so before sowing, they need to be warmed up on a south-facing windowsill for a week and then soaked according to the scheme described above. Sowing should be done no earlier than mid-May, when the soil warms up as well as possible. Ears form in August.
Rainbow– the highlight of this variety is very bright and striped leaf blades. The plant itself can exceed a height of 2 m. The leaf blades have green, yellow and pink stripes. Ears appear already in August. This variety is used to create group plantings, to hide unsightly places in the garden and simply to decorate the area.
Variegated Ribbon– a very heat-loving variegated variety, which has very attractive leaves and produces small-sized cobs. The plant is not very tall, rarely exceeding 1 m. Snow-white, pinkish, purple and green stripes can be seen on the leaves.
Seeds of this variety can be sown at the end of April or beginning of May, preferably in moist soil and always in soil warmed to +10 degrees and above. Seeds are planted no more than 5 cm deep. Seeds germinate most actively at a temperature of 14-16 degrees above zero.
You can also grow it through seedlings, making sure to place the seeds in peat-humus pots so as not to injure the delicate roots when transplanting. In this case, transplantation to a permanent place should be carried out in early June, so as not to risk it. The optimal distance between plants for this variety is 35 cm.
Mother of Pearl Miracle– reaches a height of 1.5 m and has beautifully beautiful leaf blades. The plant looks great as a single plant, but it can also be placed in group plantings. The striped leaf blades droop slightly and have green, yellow, pink, orange and even scarlet stripes.
In milky ripeness, you can eat corn grains, and also use the cobs for decoration.
The seeds of this variety are demanding of heat - the soil where they should be sown must warm up to +11 o C or more. The depth of planting of seeds should not exceed 4 cm. The germination rate of seeds, as a rule, is not very high, so sometimes three seeds are placed in one place at once, and the distance between the “piles” is left at least 45 cm, with a width between rows of 75 cm.
If you are interested in them, feel free to purchase seeds and sow them in flower beds and ornamental gardens, remember - corn consumes a large amount of nutrients and moisture, so you should not forget about fertilizing and watering.
Photo: Rita Brilliantova, Maxim Minin
