Ok, I’m overwhelmed!
So I have to rotate corn types? I’m sure something like this applies to other crops as well. Or to plant or not plant the same types if plants in the same spot each year...
What do you recommend as the best way for a newbie to start learning? Is there a guide or book that you’d recommend?
Ok, I might have throw too much out there at once.
Maybe I should mention, one of my hobbies is breeding plants. I do things a little differently sometimes because of that. For just getting your feet wet, don’t worry too much about it. The corn thing is because of an unusual feature with corn, cross-pollinations effect the kernal directly, where most crosses don’t show until they grow out. Most gardeners are only growing one type, so it’s not that big a deal.
Deep breath, relax!
I’ll let others recommend books for just starting out, but keep in mind that most plants are pretty forgiving. The seeds want to grow, all you have to do is let them.
If you want to plant more than one type of corn per year, then you either have to have a really big acreage and get them far away from each other, or you have to stagger the planting so that they don’t cross.
As to rotation, it goes beyond just planting different variety of corn each year. It means planting different types of crops from one year to the next so that you are not continually planting the same crop in the same place.
The reason for this is to help control pests, and avoid nutrient depletion, as well as bringing nutrients to the soil.
An easy rotation sequence is leaves followed by fruits, followed by roots, followed by legumes:
Lettuce, followed by tomatoes, followed by carrots, followed by beans, for example.
Here’s the article to go with that rotation:
www.dannylipford.com/vegetable-garden-crop-rotation-made-easy/
That should be enough to get you started, but don’t get overwhelmed and worry about it. Mainly just concentrate on getting your crop in this year, and where you plant it.
Free Information/pamphlets on gardening is available from University Extension Services, and most of those are downloadable.
Just do a search for University of _______ Extension Service for your state’s university to get the best info for your area.
Then check out the free stuff available from contiguous states.
You’ll get plenty of reading with out blowing your budget. LOL