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Broadcast corn

streitl

streitl

Member
Has anyone broadcasted and disced corn rather than plant it with a corn planter? I did this with my bean plot last year with a fair amount of success. I'm sort of limited on what equipment I have, so just trying to be innovative. I was thinking of trying it in a small area unless someone talks me out of it.
 
streitl said:
Has anyone broadcasted and disced corn rather than plant it with a corn planter? I did this with my bean plot last year with a fair amount of success. I'm sort of limited on what equipment I have, so just trying to be innovative. I was thinking of trying it in a small area unless someone talks me out of it.
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Corn needs the moisture, if it's on the top of the ground the roots won't sink in and your crop will be a bust. Unless you harrow it in good, even then you're probably not going to see much.


I wouldn't do it unless you want 1.5ft tall corn and or no grain.
 
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I've done it with OK results. What I did specifically was:
1. Disk
2. Broadcast fertilizer
3. Broadcast corn
4. Rototill or disk again (if just using disk, you may want to cultipack afterward or otherwise smooth the top to help cover the seed)

I haven't done it for a while, but you will want to go a little heavy on the seed because you aren't able to control the depth at all. Some will be too deep, some too shallow. Just try not to disk much deeper than 4 inches, or most your seed may get too deep.
 
How did the beans turn out? I have seen them broadcast seeded when there is no expectation of any pods. Spacing is important to corn yield as is seed depth. No way to control this with discing in. I think you will not end up with much grain.
 
streitl said:
Has anyone broadcasted and disced corn rather than plant it with a corn planter? I did this with my bean plot last year with a fair amount of success. I'm sort of limited on what equipment I have, so just trying to be innovative. I was thinking of trying it in a small area unless someone talks me out of it.
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Not a wise idea, honestly never heard of anyone doing it but success seems doubtful. Corn is a much, much more diverse plant in terms of what it actually takes to produce a successful ear. Soybeans on the other hand can be planted much closer, twin rowed, broadcasted, etc and have no problem growing and producing a pod. Corn has complex root growth, thus needing good seed to soil contact and needs to be planted at a optimal depth (1.5-2") There's so many variables that go in a successful corn plant vs soybean.
 
I'm streitl's brother in law. The beans turned out pretty good this year and the deer hammered them. They got moderately tall and produced lots of pods. I don't think we're ready to become full time farmers, but for our first try, I'd call it a success!
 
Buy an earth way planter... Under a hundred dollars, comes with 6 seed plates... If you don't want to push it, weld an attachment to pull it.
 
Had a 5 yd wide by 200yd long strip of corn broadcasted and lightly disc'd in on my first food plot and it it turned out awesome.
 
I should add that when I did this, my corn ears weren't as large as you generally see. The plants varied from twigs to fully developed. Probably due to the inconsistent seed placement. Overall I was pleased, but for the cost to fertilize corn, I would have been better off with brassicas or a something different for a late season plot.
 
Needs to be below ground level and have good soil contact. If you try it, disk in and then pack firm.
 
I rototill. Then I spread corn and then I harrow it in with my ATV and I have no problem growing corn. I do seed it a little heavier than normal. Plus the deer can't walk up and down the rows eating it. I have absolutely no problems doing it this way and have done it for years.
 
I successfully planted corn food plots back in the day before I had a planter. Rototill, urea, broadcast, rototill again. Urea again on top right before a rain when corn was about knee high. It worked pretty well. It takes more seeds per acres because you are going to lose plants that are not at right depth.
 
You guys who have done it, did it develop decent ears? I'm not looking for 200 bushel corn by any means, but want it to be worth my time.
 
streitl said:
You guys who have done it, did it develop decent ears? I'm not looking for 200 bushel corn by any means, but want it to be worth my time.
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yes. First try I didn't fertilize....didn't work so well....not much for ears. After that, with fert, it seemed to do fairly well. That being said, I am not a fan of corn plots unless you have a BIG area. If its not big, then the deer just eat the silks and no ears.
 
If you have any doubt, just do beans again. I have done numerous years of beans on the same plot (that my wife hunts over :D). Other than having to switch from RU ready beans to Liberty Link, no problem. Or, try the corn if you want. You won't get 200 bushel yields but it will prolly still draw deer. Personally, especially for nasty weather, late season, I (& my wife) think beans are a better draw.
 
I have heard you need at least 4 acres of corn or the deer destroy it. Is that the same or beans? Just wondering?
 
It depends on where you bean plot is and the amount of food around it. If any bean plot is hidden in the timber it will get demolished if it is too small. Lots of guys are using electric fences to keep the deer from knocking it down. If they do at my place I just place winter peas or winter rye in late august.
 
We had 2 acres of beans last year and it managed to last through the season, but we had other plots in place, which probably helped alleviate the deer demolishing it too early.
 
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