Corn tasseling too early

[Suzanne D.]

I live in the southern Utah desert, zone 8-9-ish, heavy clay soil and hot summers. I planted corn in my front yard, which previously had rather unsuccessfully tried to be a lawn. This year, I forgot about grass, laid drip lines, and planted it in corn.

Here are the stats of my situation:

** I planted Early Sunglow Hybrid on April 24. This variety is supposed to grow about four feet tall, and the package gives it 68 days to harvest, which would put it at early July. ** I planted the corn in five rows, in hills every three feet of 4-6 stalks per hill. ** Each hill has a 1/2 GPH dripper. I turn the drippers on for two or three hours every other day. ** I keep each hill pretty well weeded around the corn, but the rest of the yard is heavy in weeds. ** Germination was fast and successful. ** I used no amendments. ** The stalks are about knee-high right now, and are very green and healthy-looking.

Okay, so I went out there today and noticed that some of the stalks have tassels! Nothing even resembling an ear or silk in sight on any of these plants, and they are still so very tiny.

Is this bad? Is it hopeless? What may have caused it? Can I help it somehow? Can I stop it in the others? Are there baby ears down deep where I simply cannot see them? HELP!!

--S.

[Billy]

Boys. What can I tell you? We are helpless before nature.

[Pat]

"Suzanne D." wrote

| Okay, so I went out there today and noticed that some of the stalks have | tassels! Nothing even resembling an ear or silk in sight on any of these | plants, and they are still so very tiny.

I don't think you're seeing tassles. They are probably the beginnings of ears forming.

[Steve Peek]

No amendments, hmmm my guess is that that is your issue.

The ears will appear very soon, but with your lack of amendments won't amount to much. Next spring work in all the organic materials you can find. Manure should be high on your list, Put down alfalfa hay now for mulch and turn it in in the spring. Almost nothing will grow in heavy clay without "amendments".

[Suzanne D.]

That would be nice, but would they be right in the middle? I thought ears grew between the main stalk and the leaves.

--S.

[Billy]

I'm basically in agreement with Steve. Most plants have a tendency to vegetate (not set fruit), if given plenty of water and a nitrogen source. So I would suggest that you get some blood meal (high in N but low in P and K, which help set flowers), water soluble would be best but if you can't find it, use regular blood meal (1-2 lbs per 100sq. ft.) and let soak in water, in the sun, for a couple of days. Strain the regular blood meal, and apply. Cover soil, and keep it covered, with alfalfa as mulch, and keep the soil damp. Blood meal is a little pricey, so when you use up what you've purchased, I would fish emulsion the corn, every

2 weeks.

As soon as possible, sow garden with green manure (seeds). This will prep your garden for next year, when you should add some amendments (like sand, 10 - 30%, and organic matter (5 - 10%). If you follow lasagna gardening, this will be the last time you will need to till the soil. When not in production, continue growing green manure in your garden area. At some point it will re-seed itself.

The other possibility, is raised garden beds, which are easier on backs, and allows you the ability to mix the soil to specifications.