How to properly plant corn seedlings outdoors?

Method growing corn seedlings used mainly in the northern regions. This is done in order to have time to get the harvest before the onset of frost. They also grow sprouts at home in order to get earlier ears in warm regions. Transplanting a crop into open ground has its own characteristics, on which the survival rate of the plant depends, as well as the future harvest. Having planned the cultivation of corn, they begin to prepare the soil and purchase seed material. After waiting for the right time, ready-made seedlings are planted in a prepared place.

Soil preparation

It is necessary to prepare the soil for planting corn in the fall. The place is chosen well lit, warmed by the sun's rays. For the culture, choose the soil on which peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes or cabbage grew. The land should be loose, fertile. A well-prepared soil is a factor that improves root development.

Autumn preparation includes the following steps.

• Surface cleaning: you need to remove all plant residues from the garden.
• Fertilization: both mineral and organic fertilizing are required. Mineral: potassium and ammonia about 200 g, and superphosphate about 350 g; organic: 5 buckets of sand and compost or manure, as well as a bucket of ash for every 10 m².
• Lowering the acidity if necessary: ​​for this you need to add about 3 kg of fluff lime.
• Digging to a depth of about 30 cm, removing the roots of weeds that come across.

In the spring, the soil is not dug up, but only loosened to a depth of 10 cm, immediately before planting the seedlings, it is loosened again to remove the grown weeds. In the absence of autumn preparation, the soil is dug up in the spring, a couple of weeks before planting, along with the applied fertilizer.

Seedling preparation

Sowing seeds is done about a month before transplanting to a permanent place. They are first germinated, and then planted in containers filled with a fertile mixture: one part of peat and sand is taken into two parts of the compost, 2 glasses of ash are mixed into the bucket of the composition.

Advice

It is better to plant sprouted seeds in a separate bowl. In this case, the risk of damage to the root system of seedlings during transplantation will be the smallest.

When the corn sprouts have three real leaves, you can plant them in the garden. In this case, the root system should be well developed: the roots should occupy the entire volume of the container. It is not worth delaying the transplant, since overgrown plants will not take root well, which can negatively affect the further development and future harvest.

Preparing for a transplant is as follows:

• a week and a half before transplanting, the sprouts are fed with mineral fertilizers;
• immediately before planting, the pots are well spilled with water, and then carefully remove the corn, being careful not to damage the roots.

Advice

Planting directly in peat or paper cups is ideal to minimize the risk of root damage.

Disembarkation rules

For better growth and development of seedlings, the following recommendations must be observed when planting in a permanent place.

• Transplant timing

Planting ready-made sprouts in open ground is carried out in late spring - early summer. It is important that all possible frosts have passed by this time, since the culture is sensitive to low temperatures: at 4 ° C development already stops, and lower temperatures contribute to death.

• Landing scheme

For better pollination, the culture is placed in several rows, between which about 60 cm is left.For normal growth, there should be a distance of a little more than 30 cm between bushes in a row.

• Depth of disembarkation

There should be a little more than the pot in which the sprout grew. In this case, additional roots will form on the covered part, which will improve the survival rate of the planted corn. It is necessary to plant sprouts carefully, trying to avoid scattering of an earthen clod around the root system.

• Primary care after transplant

Planting is accompanied by good watering and sand mulching of the soil by about 1 cm to prevent the formation of an earth crust.

• Best neighbors

The tandem of corn and beans is beneficial for both crops: the first becomes a support, and the second enriches the soil with bound nitrogen. A pumpkin sown next to corn protects the soil from drying out and compaction by covering it with wide foliage. Grow well with corn and cucumbers: it contributes to the better development of cucumber sprouts and serves as a support for them. However, corn needs a large amount of nitrogen, which can negatively affect the development of cucumber sprouts, therefore, in this case, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers. You can also plant it with tomatoes and salad. Even potatoes and sunflowers will grow well in cornbeds.

It is undesirable to plant a crop with celery and beetroot.

Planting corn is also associated with some nuances.

• The culture grows best at temperatures around 23 ° C.
• Planting sprouts on poorly heated soil leads to their decay, which negatively affects growth and development.
• With late sowing, the ears do not have time to form, which affects the quality and quantity of the crop.
• You should not plant corn on acidic soils, highly moist or compacted - the crop will develop very slowly.
• Plants are light-loving, they cannot stand the shade, so the planting should not be very thickened, otherwise all the forces of the sprouts will be directed to growth, and not to the formation of fruits.

Of course, the yield of a crop depends not only on high-quality seedlings and correct transplantation. To obtain full-bodied ears, it is also necessary to properly care for the transplanted sprouts.

Care

Consists of the following activities:

• weeding of row spacings, especially in the first time after planting, when the corn grows very slowly;
• loosening up to three times per season to improve oxygen access to the plant.

Important!

The tillage depth is inversely related to the height of the corn: the higher it is, the shallower the soil is cultivated. This is done to reduce the risk of root damage.

• Watering is done in moderation, do not overmoisten the soil. Despite the crop's resistance to drought, it is best to prevent sudden changes in humidity. The plant needs abundant moisture during the period of flowering and fruit formation. In any case, an excess amount of moisture is undesirable, as this can lead to root rot and plant disease.
• Removing stepchildren that shade the plant and drain it will help increase yields. The factor of their appearance is high air humidity. When lateral shoots are broken off at the base, they try not to damage the stem itself.
• For the formation of full-fledged fruits, you can use artificial pollination: shake the plucked male flower over flowering ears.
• Control of pests that can destroy young shoots. For this purpose, all larvae found during digging are destroyed. You can catch a wireworm - the main pest - on potato tubers or carrots and beets cut into slices. To do this, they are buried for several days, then they take out and destroy the found insects. You can also resort to chemical treatment with special preparations.

Fertilizer

Separately, it is necessary to consider this component of care, because corn sprouts are demanding on soil fertility.A stronger need for feeding appears during flowering and fruit formation. When growth stops and development slows down, it is worth feeding. First, by mid-June, when the seedlings already have 6 good leaves, pour them with a solution of urea, taken in the amount of 2 tablespoons per bucket of water, and then, until July 10, add a solution of potassium sulfate taken in the amount of 3 tablespoons per 10 liters water.

An insufficient amount of minerals affects the plant in different ways.

• Lack of phosphorus threatens with a delay in the growth and development of the plant, an indicator of this phenomenon is the reddening of the foliage.
• A small amount of nitrogen compounds contributes to yellowing and subsequent drying of the foliage.
• A lack of potassium leads to a decrease in the level of resistance to various diseases.

Thus, in order to increase the yield of a plant, all efforts must be directed not only to growing high-quality seedlings. An important role is played by planting in open ground, and proper care for the planted sprouts. Of course, one cannot do without the desire to grow tasty and full-fledged fruits. Patience and patience again, as well as the fulfillment of all the rules and recommendations, will allow even an inexperienced gardener to get a good harvest.