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Post by littleminnie on May 25, 2010 20:27:15 GMT -5
Just out of curiosity, how do you get rid of last season's corn stumps? They aren't as bad as sunflowers but there are so many more for corn. I want to use the corn row area next season for a walking path between tomatoes or peas and lettuce beds. Will burning with a torch get rid of the stumps enough to walk on?
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Post by littleminnie on May 25, 2010 20:28:22 GMT -5
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 25, 2010 21:42:25 GMT -5
We fed ours to the terra preta pit last year and plan to do the same again this year. EVERYthing goes to the pit... well... if the chickens don't eat it first!  |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 25, 2010 22:54:23 GMT -5
I till corn stalks under in the fall: Stalks, and stumps, and everything.
I don't remove a corn stalk from the field unless it's been purchased.
(I can't imagine feeding such nice organics to an animal.)
I till once more in the spring before planting late crops.
You'd hardly know that there had been corn there the previous year...
But I don't plant early spring crops on top of the previous year's
corn patch. Late planted and big seeded crops go in there like
squash, or cucumbers, or beans.
I started transplanting tomatoes today.
Regards,
Joseph
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Post by mnjrutherford on May 26, 2010 6:39:15 GMT -5
I don't think the chickens would really eat them. They seem to like stuff green. But putting them into the terra preta pit returns it to the soil as well. Just not as soon as turning it under. So you plant another crop before or behind your corn?
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Post by littleminnie on May 26, 2010 21:23:14 GMT -5
I don't have a tiller that could handle corn stalks. I could have the whole area disced in spring and remake the beds but would rather keep them as is and add more compost.
Anyone use a torch to get rid of the above ground part?
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Post by grunt on May 26, 2010 22:35:56 GMT -5
Tamara: You're going to be out there with the torch for a long time to burn them all down. to where they won't be in the way. They are easier to root out after they overwinter, if that's any consolation. Parts of the roots rot enough that you don't have to pull them all out. If you have enough mulch, you could break the corn stalks off level with the ground, and cover them with mulch to use as a pathway = by the next year they would be almost entirely gone.
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