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Sweet corn spacing and thinning.

Corn for ourselves I start indoors in a floater tray and then plant threw mulch.  That way it is attractive and can be up by the house.  Corn for market and critters is too large for all that attention.
 
Started the corn for critters planting.  Spacing is 1 foot between seeds, 3 seeds per hole, 1 yard between rows.  The between the rows measurement is mainly so I can till between rows at first to rip weeds and scatter dirt up on top of the roots.  Did it this way years ago and I thinned to one plant per foot.

So a friend hits me with you should never have less than three plants per hole.  Per friend, the wind will take down your corn if you do not have at least three.  Has anyone heard that before?  Have certainly lost corn to wind, but I gotta figure since the roots are all shallow that they would really screw with each other.

 
 
     I've never heard that rule before and I've never seen corn (intentionally) planted 3/hill. Plant spacing depends mostly on the size of the mature plant. Here in western Illinois, dent corn gets huge. 9' tall with ears the size of your forearm. I think fields are typically planted at 7" plant spacing and 30" rows. Lodging as a product of root failure is usually only an issue when root growth gets compromised via root worms or saturated soil. 
     12" plant and 36" row spacing seems really sparse for sweet corn plants which are usually quite a bit smaller than dent plants. If I were you I would consider two things: read what your seed source has to say about your particular variety/hybrid and talk to your local University Extension agent and see if they have any tips pertaining to your local growing conditions.
 
Hybrid, most references say 8 to 12 inch spacing and 2 to 3 foot rows.  I went with the widest figures because the plan is to run the walk behind tiller between the rows once it is up a bit.  Then scoot threw the rows pushing dirt up onto the roots and planting sweet pees. 

I -think- I can cook n flavor the sweet pees, then dehydrate for kids snacks.  I know I love wasabi pees.  Been considering grocery bill in the summer time.  My wife and I eat mostly from the garden.  The kids, not so much.  Especially easy snacks.  I am right there with potato wedges, onion rings, potato chips but those things take effort.  Want something I can give them to snack on in the winter time.

 

ajdrew said:
Hybrid, most references say 8 to 12 inch spacing and 2 to 3 foot rows.  I went with the widest figures because the plan is to run the walk behind tiller between the rows once it is up a bit.  Then scoot threw the rows pushing dirt up onto the roots and planting sweet pees. 

I -think- I can cook n flavor the sweet pees, then dehydrate for kids snacks.  I know I love wasabi pees.  Been considering grocery bill in the summer time.  My wife and I eat mostly from the garden.  The kids, not so much.  Especially easy snacks.  I am right there with potato wedges, onion rings, potato chips but those more or less things take effort.  Want something I can give them to snack on in the winter time.  Maybe something they can take to school.

BTW: Mention Kale chips, they might track you down and kill you.  Oh damn that did not go over well.

 
 
ajdrew said:
Hybrid, most references say 8 to 12 inch spacing and 2 to 3 foot rows.  I went with the widest figures because the plan is to run the walk behind tiller between the rows once it is up a bit.  Then scoot threw the rows pushing dirt up onto the roots and planting sweet pees. 
 
 
 
 
     No problem, there. Just plant seeds within rows closer. 8" plant spacing with 36" rows ought to work fine for you. You get the benefit of wide rows for cultivation / pea planting and the benefit of more plants per row (sturdier, more productive stand). 
     I'm not familiar with the practice of hilling corn rows. Is that common? It seems unnecessary and potentially damaging to the roots. Too much rain after you hill could suffocate roots, maybe. Corn was created by humans to be a pretty low maintenance crop, after all.
 
Its more like mulching as opposed to herbicide.  Cut up the weeds in the middle, toss them on the weeds by the roots.  I figure it will also give something to cover the peas.  Corn has to get a head start on the peas or it doesnt work right cause the peas grow so damn fast.
 
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