How to Grow Corn in Straight Cow Manure

Corn grows well in manure that is aged and rotting.

For the home gardener, no vegetable is quite as satisfying to grow as sweet corn. A favorite at picnics and barbecues, sweet corn comes in many varieties, from normal sugary to enhanced sugar types. Increased sugar levels increase the corn's tenderness. Growing corn in well-rotted manure improves the nutrient level available to the cornstalk. Manure that is not at least a year old can burn your plants with high concentrations of uric acid.

Things You'll Need

• Cow manure
• Hoe

Instructions

1. Locate a supply of well-rotted cow manure (though manure produced by horses, sheep or chickens will also work). A local farmer may have a pile you can take from, filling buckets or a truck bed, or you can purchase manure in bags at a garden center.

2. Lay your manure down in rows on top of your garden soil or directly on your grass. If you're laying the manure directly on grass, mound it up to about a foot high at the middle in long rows.

3. Create at least four rows about two feet apart. Corn is pollinated by the wind, so multiple rows are required for the corn to pollinate properly.

4. Spray the manure rows with a hose before planting so the seeds don't wash away after planting. The manure should be moist but not soggy.

5. Plant corn seeds directly in the mounded manure between three and four inches apart.

6. Mound the manure up around the corn seedlings as they grow. Once they reach about 6 inches high, they should have enough of a base to support themselves.

7. Mulch around the seedlings and rows to keep weeds down and help the plants stay moist.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension; Manure Management in Minnesota; Kevin Blanchett and Michael Schmitt; 2007
• University of Minnesota Extension; Growing Sweet Corn in Minnesota Home Gardens; Cindy Tong; February 2009
• USA Gardener; How to Grow Corn