Planting corn without a planter

[Charles Clear]

Anyone have any ideas? I appreciate it!

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Im not sure with corn as I havent tried it yet. I have great success broadcasting soybeans on top of unprepared soil and tilling them in with tractor and rototiller. Dont know why it wouldnt work with corn.

 

[scott44]

I have planted some corn without a planter, I sprayed the plot disced it up and broadcast the corn then set my disc to about 1" depth and disced the plot again and then run the cultipacker over it. I've had decent luck with corn but I don't plant it much, where I had bare spots I over seed brassicas and rye.

 

[ksgobbler]

The latest issue of Gamekeeper magazine has a multi page article on broadcasting corn.

 

[Charles Clear]

Awesome, thank you all! I'm going to put some corn in along side of my Egyptian wheat to provide a greater screen and some food.

 

[SwampCat]

I have planted corn by broadcasting - as the others have said. Better too thin than too thick. You just have to get over worrying about running over it when you go in to spray or fertilize.

 

[Diesel5610]

I have planted corn in a corn/soybean mix by broadcasting and discing in before. It works surprisingly well. Disc in your fertilizer first and then broadcast your seed and disc in lightly. Works fine for a food/hunting plot.

 

[Jim Timber]

I plan on doing the same thing this year. Till, let the grass/weeds die, come back throw seed, till again, then pack.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I did this a few years back on a 1/2 acre plot. It worked great.
Til it up real good and then with a small harrow drop the depth to a setting that will make about 1 1/2 to 2 inch deep trenches for the seed to fall in. Broadcast the seed. Laws of gravity will put 75 percent of the seed in your trenches. I walked around with a coffee can and dropped seeds where it looked really light but this was overkill on my part. I then put the harrow down flat kinda like a gravel driveway box grader so it pushed some loose dirt back over the seeds and into the trenches.
Spray asap for any weeds you didnt get from tilling.
Spray again about a month in and fertilize. I cant find a picture but we got a real clean field with very little weeds. Seeds were spaced fine. Stalks grew to full height and tassled then we got a week of cold. We knew going in we were 3 weeks later for corn and my friend said go for it.

Rows are pretty. Not required though. I sprayed with a backpack so i didnt kill anything walking around to spray. Corn was 1 foot at spraying time and 4 feet a month later. Weeds will barely grow under the canopy of a couple foot tall corn so i stopped spraying at that point.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I can't find a better picture at the moment but you can see the broadcasted corn in the background. 5 feet tall I would guess.

 

[j-bird]

You don't have to have a planter for corn. It is highly recommended in cases where you want to maximize the grain produced for feeding the deer. Corn is picky enough as too it's needs as it is. Corn is sensitive to planting depth and population density and this is where a planter shines. 30" rows with 6" to 8" spacing of seed at an inch deep will give the investment you have made in seed and fertilizer and chemicals the best chance to produce as much grain as possible. However, broadcasting as others have mentioned can produce a stand for corn that will provide cover and food for deer and other wildlife. If I had not gotten my planter so cheaply I would not have one either. Weak areas or even the outer rows you can broadcast brassica and cereal grains into as well for some diversity if so desired. Just remember that a good stand of corn of only a couple of rows can screen a deer from your view......so make sure you are not hindering your hunting efforts in the process. Some cut shooting lanes in the corn, but this may or may not be legal in your area.