Hi folks, I would really love to grow some corn - for eating, for storing, for cooking... maybe even to feed some chickens that I have yet to get. Now I've got a paddock or two of naturalized grasses so I've got the space, and I've got a tap sticking up like thumb in one bit that looks promising. But I'm a bit afraid that I have quite heavy soil and I'm actually a bit afraid of days of back breaking work trying to break up soil with a spade or a fork. So I was thinking about making some raised garden beds. Does anyone think that raised garden beds would work for corn? If you do, should I start this winter to make the beds, then plant in Spring? I'd love any advice you care to throw my way. I was going to try the three sisters method. I was wondering if corn is a water hungry plant - and/or a manure hungry one... Also, I had the privilege to go to Mexico once and I met some farmers there. They showed me marvelous varieties of corn heads - black ones, white ones, short fat multicoloured ones, even red ones! The diversity was great. Ladyd
Re: Preparing to build a corn bed Gday Ladyd, I grow my sweet corn in raised beds and it works fine, the sooner you get started on your beds the better it will be for planting in the spring. I have found with corn they need plenty of mulch, water & sunshine! ( I found this out this season when in my rotation of beds saw my corn in a partially shaded block and it really suffered the plants were not as sturdy and had small cob size also a much lower yield then usual which I attributed to the shade) Down there in Bello you should have a extended growng season with the coastal climate so you may be able to plant a couple of crops with in the season if need be. Not only have you a great climate down there you guys also have the best swiss pastisary and Didgeridoo shop in the country! so lucky :lol: hope this helps cheers Fruit fly
