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FARMING
 How
to Select Soils & Soil Preparation
Baby corn can grow in almost
every soil type but the most suitable soils
should allow well circulation of water. Then,
it will grow well in friable soil or sandy-friable
soil. Unfavorable to it is wet soil, where circulation
of water is difficult. A pH level should range
between 5.5 and 7.0. Baby corn grows well in
quite very acid soil. In case of soil with a
pH level less than 5, 1 month before planting
baby corn, cultivators should sow lime on the
soil in a quantity of 500-700 kilogram per rai.
Then, they should plow soil so as to properly
mix soil and lime together. Next, the mixed
soil should be watered. In this way, acidity
in soil will be reduced.
The preparation of
baby corn planting beds is done by digging 25-centimeter-deep
holes and accumulating soil in the height of
about 25 centimeters around the holes. The holes
should be 50 centimeter distant from each other.
Space between rows is 50 centimeters as well.
Furrows should ease circulation of water. In
the rainy season, cultivators should sow manure
or fermented fertilizers over planting areas
so that soil will become friable. The areas
should be watered 3 days before planting, and
a humidity level would be properly sufficient
to the growth of breeding seeds.
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Planting
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Before planting, put
a handful of manure or compost at the bottom
of a hole. Next, put 7 grams of chemical fertilizers,
which may be in 20-20-0 or
16-20-0 formulas, in each hole. Mix all the
components properly and slightly layer soil
on the top. Then, drop 3-4 breeding seeds in
each hole in the form of a triangle. They should
keep a proper distance from each other. Afterwards,
put soil on them, about 2-3 centimeters high.
(Breeding seeds should be tested to see their
viability and saturated in an anti-fungus solution
before being planted.)
After planting, water
growing areas immediately. When breeding seeds
have grown for 2 weeks, or they reach the height
of 15-20 centimeters, weak stems should be pulled
out until 3 viable ones are left. Next, loosen
soil and sow fertilizers beside a row in the
distance of 15 centimeters from it. As for the
dropping of seeds, a seed dropping machine called
Jack or Jab can be used. It gives considerable
convenience, saves time and can control an amount
of seeds used more consistently than manual
seed dropping. A trick is proper adjustment
of the seed releasing blade in the machine.
In the way, the machine can drop 2-3 seeds each
time as cultivators want.
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Cultivation
Density
In general, each hole contains 3 trees or there
are approximately 19,000 trees per rai. Although
productivity depends on a number of trees per
a growing area, too many trees in a growing area
can result in defects of produce. For example,
there is a decrease in weight and size of ears.
An amount of ears per tree drops. Trees not bearing
ears increase. Growth is unusually slow.
Watering
Baby corn trees grow well
and yield good quality produce, when planted in
soil having humidity during all the cultivation
period. If too much water is given to them, or
a lack of water occurs for a time, the trees will
suffer interruption in growth and consequently
yield low quality produce. Defective ears result
from a lack of water during corn ear producing
time. In general, baby corn trees should be consistently
watered from the beginning of cultivation to the
end of harvest. When they are small, they should
be watered every 2-3 days. As they reach the height
of 50-60 centimeters, water should be given every
5-7 days. After that, every time soil gets dry,
farmers have to water the trees.
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