weeding between corn?

[greengenes]

I do not grow corn usually... but something snapped in my brain and this year I did.
I followed the instructions (I know, weird, right?) and the six rows six inches apart are.. frustrating to weed. I am not the flexible, well balanced person I used to be. Nubian more than nubile.
When I get it weeded, It will just fluff up more weed seeds. suggestions for mulch that the little corns will have the power to move through that the weeds won't?
I need a well trained chicken.
There is a market for weeder chickens.

 

[Carol Dee]

Try grass clipping once you get the weeds out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's one of my issues with mulching certain things. Others may have a better technique, but I have to weed until the crop I want is big enough to not be smothered by the mulch. I've never grown corn that way either so I can't help from experience. My only suggestion us to star mulching with smaller stuff as soon as you can and increase the mulch thickness as the corm grows in height. Grass clippings sounds like a good idea compared to wheat straw because the pieces are so much finer. Just a little mulch can make the weeding easier even if it doesn't smother the weeds just by keeping the ground moister and keep it from baking to a crust.

 

[baymule]

My 3 rows of corn are growing up in rye grass. It is a short rye grass that dies back in warm/hot weather. The entire garden spot was deep in rye all winter, I left it there for the chickens. They decimated it along with the broccoli that grew there all winter. I planted corn in the newly chicken tilled ground along with a row of tomatoes and the rye is back! Can't let the chickens back in-I'd have nothing left! I'm going to weed the worst of the tall weeds, then smother everything with leaf mulch from the chicken run. Darn cold weather is prolonging the life of this stuff!

I have poured leaves in the run all fall and winter. The neighbors behind me donated leaves in exchange for eggs. I definitely came out ahead in that deal! It is now about 2' deep in leaf compost. Corn needs nitrogen-chicken poop is nitrogen-weeds need smothered out-deep leaf mulch. TA-DA!!

 

[greengenes]

I can get some clean grass clippings. That is a good idea. Getting larger stuff around the sprouts would be a tedious task.

 

[seedcorn]

6 rows 6" apart? Planted the seeds 6" apart but rows 2.5-3' apart?

 

[greengenes]

The package said 'block' them. I figured okay, I do not have enough room the normal way, so...
I'll see.
I get serious dermatitis from corn leaves, so I plan to mulch heavy, walk away and send in the kid to harvest.
There is a reason I hardly ever ever plant corn.

 

[seedcorn]

So u r 6" by 6"? Feed them heavy. Lot of water especially when you see tassels appear.

 

[the1honeycomb]

I put small used planting containers over my corn, then cover everything with mulch, old leaves, grass clippings, whatever whn I'm done I just remove the containers and the corns are undamaged. I don't have a fence up yet but I hope that the chickens don't find the garden until I can protect it!

 

[greengenes]

Brilliant!