This is the first year with corn in my garden. I was limited on space, so I tilled an area approx 6'x20' and made two rows of dirt lengthwise. I then planted 3-4 seeds about a foot apart in the rows. I then applied a thin layer of black mulch to each row. I have probably 20-25 plants sprouting and looking very good. My only "problem" is that almost all of the seeds I planted have germinated. So at each planting interval, I have 3-4 plants growing. I hate to thin them out, but that's what I need to do....right? The plants are 6-10 inches high at the moment. Is now a good time to thin them out or should I wait? Any additional comments regarding my planting strategy are welcome. I enjoy the constructive criticism.
It's best to thin them earlier than later so do it now when you have a lower risk of damaging the root structure of the plants you are going to be leaving behind. My only suggestion on the planting strategy is that next year you could take some seeds (say 10 or so) and pre-sprout them in the house. Soak them well over night drain then put them in sealable container or a zip loc baggie and wait until they sprout. This will give you a rough idea of the germination rate for your seeds. If most of the seeds germinate you might only want to plant 1 or 2 seeds per hole in your corn plot. Any spots that don't germinate you could fill with seedlings from the areas with 2 plantlets. Anne
Anne, thank you for the suggestions. I had a similar issue with my beans and I was able to clean them up last night. I plan on turning my attention to the corn this weekend.
