Hi!I have a problem with yellow corn -my husband and I are avid organic farmers & have an extremely fertile garden in our backyard -the problem is we've been given land to garden on down at the family farm that hasn't been takin' care of lately.We've already planted all our crops. We have beans,peas,peanuts,etc. that are doing great but my corn is turning yellow!! Does anyone have an organic way to help it at this stage?My uncle says it needs fertilizer -but I don't believe in chemicals- So Help,Please!! Thank You!Lisa

-- Lisa Reddish (reddish@frontiernet.net), May 15, 2001

Answers

Hi, I"m also a organic all the way, if your growing peanuts, you probably have sandy soil, I do down here in texas. I use lots of cottonsead meal on my garden and it thrives. I buy it at ace hardware stores, course you may have a huge garden, I have a half acrea in veg"s . I go out just before the weather man says it will rain, and put it on every thing, just get a handfull and put right on the ground around your corn or what ever. some times I use bloodmeal, and bonemeal mixed with cottonseed meal, also soak cow patties in ten gallon bucket, and use water for special things, my flowers are really pretty. I hope this helps Irene

-- Irene orsborn (tkorsborn@cs.com), May 15, 2001.

Me - I'd hit it with some urea, then water it in if it's a small patch. However, if that doesn't fit with your preferences, then as above - manure tea - about the only "organic" (if you don't count urea, which is organic but made artificially) quick-shot way of getting nitrogen to the plants. In fact, your manure tea is likely to be mostly urea anyway. Just harder to handle, and smellier and messier.

Longer-term, of course, lots more options. Basically build up the soil - above suggestions, green manure crops, lots of ways.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), May 15, 2001.

I'd have to look at my "bible" (Sunset Western Garden Book), but I believe that chicken shit is one of the higher nitrogen sources among the organics.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), May 15, 2001.

Such great advice I only have a couple tiny things to add...

Don't forget that manure is fertilizer too!!

Bunny dung is second to chicken in nitrogen, but won't burn crops if added directly to the planting bed.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), May 15, 2001.

blood, add blood meal

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), May 15, 2001.

water with fish emulsion.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), May 15, 2001.

Hello Lisa, If your peanuts are doing well that means that your soil's pH is around 4 to 6. That may be too acidic for your corn. You need to side dress with limestone, bonemeal, crushed marble, woodashes, or cruswhed oyster shells. These things will bring the pH into neutral. Do not sidedress with oak leaves, sawdust, woodchips, or pine needles as they all tend to have acid, thus reducing your pH. A a fellow organic gardener I know how frustrating this situations is...as I have a similar problem with my garlic this year. I first just withheld water thinking that I was overwatering them but, come to realize that the pine needles I mulched with produced an over acidic patch in my garden causing the garlic to not do well. I hope that I have helped you in some way. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), May 15, 2001.

WOW!! Thank You so much for all the great answers to my problem!!! Now to get started!!And yes, I live where the soil is a little sandy (South Georgia)!God Bless And Thanks Again!! Lisa

-- Lisa Reddish (reddish@frontiernet.net), May 16, 2001.