Corn Plot Size

[Gthphtm]

I only want an 1/2 acre corn plot, 110' x 110' or 110' x 220' which would be better?.Should I use rounup beforehand ?.

[growalot]

Yes and 110x220 would work out best

[G-Man]

Hope you don't have to many deer around, cleaned out 7 acre field by end of october this year on me... If you want a later season plot the more square the better, unless you have coon and squirrels under control the first 4 to 6 outside rows will be nothing more than stalks as the coon and rodents don't wait for corn to mature and coon especially love it in milk stage. The deeper the field the more chance you have for ears to make it for late season. If your small game is under control long irregular is way to go.

[G-Man]

Hope you don't have to many deer around, cleaned out 7 acre field by end of october this year on me... If you want a later season plot the more square the better, unless you have coon and squirrels under control the first 4 to 6 outside rows will be nothing more than stalks as the coon and rodents don't wait for corn to mature and coon especially love it in milk stage. The deeper the field the more chance you have for ears to make it for late season. If your small game is under control long irregular is way to go.

[growalot]

Here are some pics of such a plot...this has been done a few years now so all the critter know whats there...Now I'm not saying smaller plots can't get wiped out...by the way I'm in a high deer density area...which is why we get 4 doe tags each a year...but I digress...

I believe this works due to the way I have set the property up...many small plots all winding through natural browse...but with the corn...I do not row plant. That makes the corn very thick and not as easily maneuvered...deer like the easiest path...even for food...when there are easy eats right next door why fight to get your food...The biggest problem I have is when the corn is young....birds tend to pull it out of the ground and the deer nip it in half...which is why I broad cast it on the heavy side

So in first picture the corn in front is sorghum and the taller in back is feed corn....The second shows how thick and third how big the ears get....Never know unless you try...

[bbrummon]

Nice looking corn plot.

We tried corn for 2 years and then soybeans. Nothing got higher than a foot before being eaten. That was on an acre plot. I guess we have too many deer around and not enough other food for them.

Now we stick with cereal grains ( winter rye if my favorite ), clover and turnips. Everything ( about 2 acres ) is mowed down by December.

Bob

[josephmrtn]

at the QDMA meeting Kip Adams said his FAVORITE thing to hunt over is standing corn...

[Lawdwaz]

at the QDMA meeting Kip Adams said his FAVORITE thing to hunt over is standing corn...

Atta boy, you were paying attention.

Pass the corn please.......

[Gthphtm]

Grow. You said you are broadcasting the seed ?. Are you tilling first ,broadcasting the seed with a spreader ?. Then how are you covering the seed ?.Are you just dragging something over the ground ?.

[josephmrtn]

Atta boy, you were paying attention.

Pass the corn please.......

Hey i wanna learn everything i can from a guy like Kip!!!!

[G-Man]

Standing corn is awesome to hunt over late season, you will see how bad your population is out of skew for sure quick. We try to take 10 doe a year off 200 acres, just to maintain , took several years to get doe down so wild seedlings could grow without being nipped, was also good reenforcement that if you want meat shoot a doe, let the little bucks grow. amazing we did it with out being told thru mandatory ar's to let em grow.

[growalot]

G-man....

I disk fairly deep...this will make furrows...I then take the sm JD and 80# spreader and drive the corn over ...Next I very lightly disk with the big tractor and follow up by dragging with a harrow drag..not weighted...

Now that seems like a lot of time but really not...the corn ends up at different depths..which is what I want(same for those small soy plots)...the birds and deer will do some damage..but as the corn grows it's less attractive...in the meantime more corn starts emerging...then I end up with ears at different stages...I actually wish it would be TOTALLY stripped before spring...because then I could just go in and mow it down ...but as it is.......... I have to remove ears and then push it over with the tractor bucket before mowing and spring weed killing...those dried corn cobs don't do the deck blades any good.. We have a lot of deer as well..remember I mention having 46 or 48 deer walk by me one day between 6am and 11am....... all but 38 known to be different deer and that was 300yrds from any plot and not coming from or going to any of the plots..

They were traveling from a farm field a mile away going down in to a neighboring swamp

I have a far bigger problem with my small perennial clover /alfalfa plots being taken down to dirt the first week in Oct....

[Gthphtm]

Thanks growalot, I do not think I have the problem with the deer population as you do. A lot of small pieces of property and too many if it's brown attitude.

[G-Man]

Grow, i've only had 1 year where i had corn left in spring 2 years ago, very mild winter, how much fertilizer are you adding to your field when planting? Or are you top dressing?. Rows are much better for hunting purposes as you can shoot down them, esp with a bow, off the ground while stalking. I have no active farms within 5 miles of me and deer travel a long way to get to the corn. A half arce corn field in the middle of the woods is not going to last unless they have other food sources, as for the coon by me trapper got 11 in 7 days off a acre field they were demolishing. Glad to see em gone. Would of trapped longer but bear was taking animals with the traps... quick way to lose money so he left.

[G-Man]

Grow, i've only had 1 year where i had corn left in spring 2 years ago, very mild winter, how much fertilizer are you adding to your field when planting? Or are you top dressing?. Rows are much better for hunting purposes as you can shoot down them, esp with a bow, off the ground while stalking. I have no active farms within 5 miles of me and deer travel a long way to get to the corn. A half arce corn field in the middle of the woods is not going to last unless they have other food sources, as for the coon by me trapper got 11 in 7 days off a acre field they were demolishing. Glad to see em gone. Would of trapped longer but bear was taking animals with the traps... quick way to lose money so he left.

[growalot]

Needed a little iron in his diet..haha....

I started mine for screening purposes and before all the corn started being planted last year..They now have hundreds of acres to play in all summer till fall...then wham every last bit gets chopped for silage...then all that's left is me ...That should help further to keep mine in good shape through the hunting season....

I have another new half acre I'm adding to that corn area...for screen and cover...If I ever get that dang fence done...all but two posts have been set(they need concreting) then I can put up the first hundred yards...I don't hunt over the corn ...but use it as cover to get to a stand that is between bedding, clover, then beans and corn...on the other side of corn is the road and a big Norway Spruce forest

I'm not big on bagged fertilizer...that's why I rotate crops....I moved the corn farther from the road last year and planted my failed hemp(now the deer did mow that down to nothing)mix with the soybeans and Knaff...All rich nitrogen and scavenger (deep rooted) plants...The corn will go back in that spot again with 100#'s of 20-20-20

I'm buying first time some WTI power plant for where I had the beans...clover... turnip and oats last year...free round shipping...ends up being a good value...will add some Quail haven soybeans to the mix because they were awesome last year and a dollar a pound...