Depends. Clay soils hold nutrients. Sandy soils are bad a bout leaching nitrogen which is what corn requires a lot of. I sidedress just before tasseling with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Ammonium nitrate, Urea, Chicken manure are good sources.

Is it true? Yes, and as farmerdilla said there are several good sources for N. Ammonium nitrate is probably the most common one used but in addition to the ones already listed there is blood meal, alfalfa meal, and cottonseed meal.

But as already mentioned the most effective one to use will depend a great deal on the type of soil you have and how much nitrogen is already in your soil. Commercial growers have their soil nitrate levels tested first and then choose the one to add but that isn't really cost effective for the home grower. But home gardeners who use lots of manured compost or have planted cover crops the previous fall will need much less N addition for their corn than those who did no fall or early spring soil amending.

You might want to call your local county AG extension office and see which high N sources are recommended for use in your region. Just keep in mind that the focus for this application is nitrogen only so broad spectrum N-P-K fertilizers are not applicable.

Dave

Well, back on the farm my dad used to hire a tank of anhydrous ammonia to be delivered to the head of the corn field. Then the ammonia was bubbled into the irrigation water as it was applied to the corn field, puting the ammonium hydroxide right into the soil at the roots. Simple. Stinky. Dangerous, I'm told. Guess you can't do that in the home garden.

Another option would be applying a little liquid gold. (I know, EEWWWWWW!) You have to come up with the method so you wouldn't burn the plants, though.

Catherine

Don't think you can buy ammonium nitrate anymore.

Can't buy it in Texas? Still readily available here in the farm and AG supply stores - limited quantity purchases true, but more than enough for home gardening.

Dave

I tend to use a lot of grass clippings in my compost. The end result is compost that's high in nitrogen. I also use golden fertilizer on the corn. I just don't tell anybody. I mulch with grass clippings, too.

Great corn.

Corn has been my main success so far this season, i'm going to try and get 3 harvests with standard Silver Queen with staggered 45-day planting invervals. So far the first batch went in the ground 15th of March, and is now above waist-high. Primarily I used topsoil, prepared garden soil, and composted cow manure. After 1 month I side-dressed with manure-tea. When the corn got waist-high I side-dressed with just standard 10-0-10. I will side-dress again with 10-0-10 at day 60 and that will be it until harvest... probably after 90 days in the ground and continued good weather.

I too have heard that amonium nitrate is the fertilizer of choice when it comes to side-dressing corn. It really makes the green growth take off like a rocket as soon as the plant has an established root system. But... its also great for HME (home-made explosives) so as a home gardener I stay away from even attempting to purchase it. Any way to get nitrogen into the soil will do.

Last year I got nine harvests of sweetcorn. First planting March 15, next 5 wks later then at two wk intervals until early August. This year I'm going for six plantings. That will give enough break in between harvests that my taste for eating it returns.

I thought ammonium nitrate was pulled from the market. I know there was a long period I couldn't find it. Apparently it is back in small quantities. It is about the cheapest dry N fertilizer and a good one.

I can get urea locally for ~$18/50lbs. Is there a downside to using it for corn, and how would it compare with Ammonium Nitrate? Is the latter a lot less expensive?

For my little corn patch (8'x20') how much urea should I use and when? My subsoil is wicked sandy (think 'beach') but the top 2' have been built up to a decent loam.

Or should I forget urea and try to find another nitate fertilizer?

I actually have enough herring on hand to bury one under each corn seed. Is that an old wives' tale or would it actually do something useful? My other option is to use compost made largely from fish scrap and sawdust.

just keep the A N Fert away from diesel fuel and you will be fine, also don't store any extras in a rented truck or van or the feds be running in your corn field!!!

Just so everyone knows, even if you mix diesel with the A/N you would still need a high explosive to detonate it. A/N isn't dangerous and fine for using.

My corn experiences has me hooked on growing Ambrosia bi-color, 3-4 plantings per season about 3 weeks apart. July 4th is the very latest to plant for decent sized ears by Sept. For fert I use urea blended with Gardentone for veggies, about 50/50. Also used as a side dress at 10" tall and at the first plant just peeking tassel stage. Wide row planting zigzagging the plants down the row like this :
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

with about 12-14" between the seeds. 3' between rows. Plant 3-4 seeds per hole and thin to strongest plant at 6". Snip off don't pull. Our first plot planted 4/10 during an extra warm April is now 12" tall. 2nd crop is breaking ground.

Cornappetit'

Ammonium Nitrate can be perched at Atwood's.