Using Corn Stalks in your Garden
How do you use your corn stalks? I know several of you across the globe from me in places like Australia are gaining momentum and starting to hit your summer months in what is my winter! That means if you have planted corn your close to harvesting those babies and will be left with rows of corn stalks, leaves and husks. Those of you in the states like me in January are planning for your corn beds. As your seasons progress keep in mind some of the benefits of the corn stalks and leaves.
To Compost or Not to Compost
I used to throw all of the entire plant in the composter. However, over the last few seasons I have started composting the husks as soon as I peel my corn and using the stalks and leaves real-time in my gardens as a natural wordless mulch!
Mulching your beds is great for moister retention and helps with water maintainance. However, using only wood mulch at times can make it hard to get into the dirt. Personally, I like to be able to easily move my soil. In addition, if you’re in an area prone to termites and your beds are around your house, using wood mulch that will consistently be wet or moist may not be the best thing for your home.
Using your corn stalks in your beds
There are so many alternatives to using only wood. Your gardens plants can make some amazing mulch especially plants like asparagus and corn. Consider allowing your stalks a bit of time to die down after your corn is harvested. Let them stand until they have lost some of their green. You can still plant below them as they start to die. Leaving them in the soil for a bit actually looks cool! More so however it helps return some of those used nutrients back to the ground.
Once your plants have lost some of their green lift them from the beds and chop them into small pieces. They will decompose faster this way. Lay them around your plants as you would mulch; or, till them into your beds. Both of these methods will help put organic matter back into you soil!1
Step 2 of a Successful Garden: Soil Assessments
The health of the soil in ones garden is as important as the foundation of their home! As such, once someone has decided where they want to place a new bed, or even if they are using existing beds over and over again each season, an assessment of the soil should be completed. There are so many things to look at when it comes to soil one might wonder where to start. Two primary options when determining the validity of your soils are:
Having your soil tested.
This process can take up to two weeks. Stick around and I’ll share the ins and out of this as I go through a soil test for my beds in spring.
Performing a self assessment of your soil.
Self assessments are what I have used through the majority of my gardening life. One does learn over time to look for specific signs that will help them determine the health of their soil. However, self assessments can be risky for new gardeners unless they have a good guideline on what to look for. Luckily there is a very structured process one can follow that was created by Oregon State University to determine the health of a garden’s soil.
Oregon State recommends five assessments a year covering 10 steps ranging from soil to water to plant life. We will review each of these steps in a series of articles and how to videos over the next few months. However, let’s kick off the bulk of the assessments by focusing first on soil health and how to asses the texture and structure of your soil
Soil Assessment 1: Texture and Structure
The texture and structure of the soil is how it is put together, how it moves, handles water, and allows plants to grow. As such, soil texture is paramount to ones garden. Soil should have a crumb structure and be friable, (easily crumbled). It should also have good porosity so air, water, roots and organisms can move freely within the soil. This is a balance game though. Why? Because soil that is too friable probably has poor aggregate stability, it won’t hold structure well or retain water well. If on the other hand it does not break apart at all, it’s too hard, cemented or full of clay there will be issues; organisms will not be able to move through the soil.
Many things can impact the quality of your soil. Day-to-day life, weather, erosion, what and when one plant, as well as tilling or not tilling can impact positively or negatively a gardens soils texture.
Completing the Assessment
First off ensure your attempting your assessment when your soil is neither too dry, too wet or frozen. You will need a shovel (or tool to dig into the soil with) and a spray bottle with water.
- Choose a few areas of the garden that is considered representative.
- Dig a 6 – 10 inch deep area
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- Scoop up a portion of soil that is about the size and volume of a can of soup.
- Review the soil, are their crumbs, clumps of clay, granular soil only?
- If there are crumbs present squeeze them and note the amount of pressure it takes to collapse them while dry.
- Scoop up a portion of soil that is about the size and volume of a can of soup.
- Gently wet some of the crumbs and try to collapse them while wet. Does this require more or less pressure?
Assessing the Findings
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- Lowest health: Soil has powdery, massive or flaky structure without any visible crumbs.
- Moderate Health: There are some crumbs present yet they break under slight pressure. They are also far more fragile when wet.
- Best Health: Soil is friable and crumbly! It has a clear crumb structure that maintains its shape under pressure even when wet and can also still be broken between one’s fingers!
Four easy steps to improve least desirable results
1: Allow plants to decompose naturally if possible.
Allowing plants to decompose naturally is important to an organic garden. Not only that but if done correctly adds beauty to a garden and another season of life. Decomposition promotes organic growth in the soil. On the other hand leaving soil completely empty for long periods of time can drive erosion or overly compacted soil making it hard to manage or work through.
2: Have clear walkways through your garden!
This is one of the simplest things to do. Consider what one weighs. Consistently walking through the beds one is planting in can compact the soil to the point that it is no longer friable. Therefore, create beauty and character in your garden while also respecting your soil by laying small stepping-stones through your beds. Create committed walk ways such as my path directly down the middle of my large beds here. Plan for clearly laid out walkways between plants. Giving enough room to walk through for harvest but not touching the base soil the plants are thriving in.
3: Add organic matter to your soil!
Organic matter promotes organisms in your garden that break your soil down, It also promotes drainage and worms. Here are some cheap and easy ways to add organic matter to your soil.
- Using eggshells in your garden!
- Coffee grinds in your garden!
- Add orange or banana peals
- Utilize Peat or Coconut Moss
- Save dried Leaves
- Use corn leaves for mulch
- Add compost annually
- Grow companion plants that support your main crops but easily break down in your garden all summer long. Borage, Comfrey, Yarrow, Marigolds
4: Use cover crops in the winter.
In my experience the best cover crops are winter garden plants such as snow peas, cabbage, sweet peas, lettuce, radishes, garlic and other plants that love the cold.
These plants not only keep your soil busy but enable you to continue to eat the freshest foods available over your winter months. Other options are grassy plants, that die down easily preventing the need for heavy tilling such as alfalfa or buckwheat,
Want to see more?
Register with Oma’s Gardens and get notified as these and more steps are completed surrounding soil assessments over the next few weeks:
- Compacted Layers of Soil: Garden Soil Assessment 2
- Soil Work-ability: Garden Soil Assessment 3
- Soil Organisms: Garden Soil Assessment 4
- Earthworm Abundance: Garden Soil Assessment 5
- Water Infiltration and Availability: Garden Soil Assessment 6
Other Related Articles
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Step One of a New Garden: Location, Location, Location!
So you read the Eight Steps to a Successful New Garden and want a bit more details! Great! This article covers in detail Step One of a New Garden: Location! It also covers each of the sub items one should consider when looking for a good location. So…. let’s get started!
Location, Location, Location!
They say this in real estate and it applies for gardening as well! Wait.. not plants? No. Plants are important and one should have an idea of what their wanting to plant. Several of these steps somewhat work together and one will find themselves at times considering them all! However, the location plants will reside is more important. Not dirt? No. Not dirt location!
In my humble experience location is the number one thing one must consider when starting a new bed. Why? Simply put, how important is ones home to them? The spot one is planting in will be the home to their plants. The location selected for a garden will be where they live and thrive. Just as humans look for a home that “feels” right,” ones garden will 100% define if plants “feel right” growing there. And believe me you want your plants feeling right.
Another reason to consider location first is it forces the advanced thought and planning needed in all future steps. especially planting and landscaping steps. One can modify their space once a location is established, to a point; however, some limitations cannot be modified. As such, when looking at location options, consider these sub items before making a final decision:
A: What is the direction of the sun in relation to the potential location?
The direction of the sun in relation to a garden is paramount. 
My very first garden was a failure because I did not consider this in the vicinity of my location. What happened? I selected a spot that faced west and then planted shade loving plants! What, they were pretty? They looked so lovely there! Until, they burned from the west sun.
The direction of the sun will not necessarily stop an individual from planting in said location. It can however, define the kinds of plants one can sustain in the area being considered. It may limit ones options and require planning to overcome issues of too much or too little sun.
My space for example would have been fine if I had understood the importance of the sun. Tall plants or objects placed around the shade loving babies I selected could have protected them. Therefore, when considering a location study the sun and make note of the following:
- Does the location face North, South, East or West?
- Make note of the sun’s intensity (is it full, partial or shade)?
- Study how the sun looks in the morning at noon and in the evening and make note of the differences.
Doing this ensures by Steps two and three (Soil and Plants) there has been thought in regards to the sun and its power. It also helps plan for Step 7 Watering!
B: Are structures near the potential location (s)?
Consider in advance what structures surround prospective locations! For example my shade loving plants, where that west sun hit, set against a big brick 1house. I may as well have set them in an oven. West sun hitting hot brick all day long? Oh yeah it was fry time! Look for the following clues to impacts on the sun with your structures:
- Does the location being considered sit next to a house, a barn, a shed, a building, a tree, shrubs or taller plants?
- In relation to sun (Consideration A) do said structures create shade at certain points of the day, make it hotter or completely blocking the sun?
Structures can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Some structures can enable the perfect balance of sun and shade. Giving morning or afternoon sun and offering protection in high heat or cold wind. They can also completely take the sun away limiting one to only plants that live in the shade. As such, look at the structures around a potential location. Make note of said structures and their potential benefit to plants and use this information in the final location decision.
C: Are you using an existing bed or will you build from scratch?
The final thing to consider is the positive or negative impacts of using an existing bed versus building from scratch. Using an existing space does not always mean your garden efforts will be easier.
- On the positive side: a preexisting bed may mean less clean up. Perhaps an easier effort at removing deeply established grass. It could also mean the soil has been rotated at some point, perhaps adding simplicity to revitalization of the area.
- On the negative side: a preexisting bed could mean additional work. Perhaps the removal of rocks from a once rock garden. The removal of heavily established shrubs, trees or sedentary objects such as water features arbors or other items to allow for sun etc.
Take time to decide if a new garden or an existing garden would offer more benefits and capture the impacts to the potential location. Capture the data gathered in this analysis stage, write it down and make a preliminary decision!
Here is a quick Video on putting Step 1 to use. The goal is to find a spot that gives the MOST options for planting and to know in advance what limitations one will have.
Did this Article help you?
- Check out the full Eight Step checklist!
- Check out Step Two Soil Assesments
- Visit Our Services and register to receive notice as each new step comes out!
Visit Oma’s Storefront For a Selection of Unique Products and Services
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Epsom Salt Once a Month! – Quick hit!
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