Growing tall maize

[FarmerFrank88]

My daughter was sent a maize seed through the school and instructed to grow the tallest maize plant. It will be measured in September when they go back for next year. As a farmer I feel under pressure to show my crop growing skills (you know what its like) but we haven't grown maize for a while and only grew it this year as we couldn't get our wheat in last autumn.

Was wondering how you keep the plant growing up and not producing cobs. I've got it in a greenhouse with a few granules of fert and giving it a bit of slurry bit what else would people recommend. Thanks
Frank

 

[Dalos]

Make sure the roots can go down plenty in non compacted soil

 

[Exfarmer]

It loves fertilizer manure and plenty pf water, may be worth looking at changing the kernel for a more vigorous one depends how serious this school is.
of course in the interest of science your daughter should note every treatment, and pray the organic neighbour does not beat yours

 

[Highland Mule]

Sorry, no advice on what to grow it in, but if you have space and access to some seeds why not plant a few now and then select the best nearer the time? Nothing worse than the disappointment of a plant that doesn't do.

 

[Bogweevil]

UK maize flowers in long days/short nights. Make a black plastic tent and cover plant each night so is has a long night - 14 hour night might fox it into non flowering and hence taller plants. At the very least the child will get a gold star for her insight into plant physiology.

 

[Ramrod]

Plenty of Butter, yum yum.

 

[ollie989898]

Height of the crop will be affected by the variety and crop density. A plant grown alone may grow differently to those in row.

 

[Matt L]

Grow it inside a piece of large diameter twin wall pipe or something like that. Wide enough that it will self support but tall enough it will keep growing towards the light. Maybe made in sections so it can be made taller as it grows

 

[Old McDonald]

I agree with @ollie989898 but at the same time formed the opinion that a densely sown crop remains shorter whatever the variety. My gut feeling on this was that too many of the lower leaves were shaded and could not intercept as much light as they should have done. A reduced seed rate seemed to produce a much taller crop, and since I used to harvest a fair bit whilst green (feed in dry summers) it suited me to have more bulk.

A single plant ouwld not have this problem if the leaves are not shaded. You might also find that a single plant does not pollinate the female flower. It might, of course, but you could remove it if you felt it would restrict the growth - provided it is within the "rules". I am not so sure it would make much difference, if any.

I would not worry too much about being beaten by an organic opposition. I did a lot of research on crops that were new to me when I moved here and I made up "papers" for my own use - I still do it despite tryng to retire. I remembered writing this a few years ago:
Maize uses most of its required nitrogen a few weeks after sowing. A dressing of FYM immediately prior to sowing a maize crop can be expected to have a lot of its nitrogen mineralised after the crop needs it, and is therefore a good candidate for leaching. This makes it impossible to optimally fertilise a maize crop only with organic manures.

Best of luck.

 

[Tarw Coch]

My experience would be the opposite of old McDonald above, maize sown at a higher seed rate seems to grow taller albeit with later maturity , which might not matter if a tall plant is the main requirement.
My theory was that the denser crop keeps the plants going up in search of more light.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Do what my niebour did . Jump over the fence into my field. Take a handful of my winter oats and win first prize in the local show . And he thought I did not know

 

[dubs]

Do what my niebour did . Jump over the fence into my field. Take a handful of my winter oats and win first prize in the local show . And he thought I did not know

the best wild oats category ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Grow it inside a piece of large diameter twin wall pipe or something like that. Wide enough that it will self support but tall enough it will keep growing towards the light. Maybe made in sections so it can be made taller as it grows

I like your thinking, for slightly different reason I was going to say cut the top and bottom out of an ibc then plant in the middle (3 seeds then choose the most vigorous and remove tother 2 .
The ibc would provide a wind break and semi greenhouse conditions. Could add another on top as time went on, stake it well tho

Other than that give it a Nice deep tilth with good SOM. And a hand full or 2 of an NPKS compound fert. mixed in And water it carefully every 10 days.

Will grow like Topsy.

 

[Old McDonald]

From the OP

My daughter was sent a maize seed

 

[Bury the Trash]

From the OP

Oops .

Just the one then, it will be fine



Just be very, very careful with it.......