Corn planted too thick?

[TMIL]

Last weekend I planted about an acre in corn, last year's RR seed given to me by a friend of the family farmer. I knew I planted too much, I broadcast it with the spreader on my tractor. Since then we have had perfect rain and warm weather. Now I think it will be far too thick and all of the corn will be stunted due to competition for water and/or nutrients. This plot has pretty much been white clover for the past 10+ years, terminated a few times for a fall oats/PTT plot, then back to white clover each time. The clover was growing pretty good when I plowed it under before this planting. Hopefully there will be extra nitrogen available for the corn from the clover. I can, and plan, to add nitrogen anyway to help the corn mature and produce.

I know I will be losing some of the corn when I run over it to spray (4-wheeler) and fertilize (tractor) but I'm afraid it might still be too thick. Does anyone else have experience with corn that is too thick? What did you do?

Thanks!

 

[TMIL]

I snapped a couple cell phone pics today.

 

[TMIL]

 

[biglakeba$$]

Do you have a digger?

I planted turnips to thick one time and took my digger with a few teeth removed and went through the entire plot to till some up and it worked out great.

 

[TMIL]

No I don't have a digger. I thought about running the disk, gangs angled straight, in each direction, north-south, then east-west. I don't know if that would take out too much though.

 

[biglakeba$$]

That would be a bit harsh I think.

 

[TMIL]

Aw geez ... of course I have a "digger." The Cub 144 cultivator will perfectly fit the bill, I think. I have 3 complete sets of the Cub 144 I believe. Here's a pic of what one looks like, not mine, just a pic I found on the webs. Getting old sucks and I guess I need to get some sleep!

 

[MoLandOwner]

Take the lawn mower and mow paths through the plot.

 

[wiscwhip]

I like the idea of removing a few teeth on that Cub cultivator and giving it a go with that. That is a good tool for doing exactly what you are thinking.

 

[leexrayshady]

Yep I have done it both ways , once to thick the other to thin, The to thick came up decent odviously the outside was the best as it got more light and as you went in the stalks got thinner and the corn ears shorter. but the deer and pheasants loved it. It was a pain to get rid of it the next spring though.