Corn in the Urals and Siberia: growing in open ground at the dacha

Corn is a heat-loving crop. In Russia, it is grown on a production scale and in private plots in the Kuban, Caucasus, and Lower Volga. Planting corn in Siberia, the Urals, the Moscow region, and the Leningrad region became possible thanks to the breeding of frost-resistant varieties zoned in cold climates.

The best varieties of corn for Siberia, the Urals and the Moscow region

For planting in regions with a temperate climate, early ripening varieties are chosen. The crop must have time to ripen in a short summer. The plant is thermophilic and does not tolerate low temperatures. Only vegetable species are grown. Forage varieties are not cultivated in Siberia and the Urals.

Many hybrids have been bred and zoned in cold climates. The best varieties of corn for Siberia, cultivated in open ground, include:

For planting in open ground, breeders offer the best varieties of corn for central Russia and the Urals:

1. Landmark F1 – early variety, frost-resistant, tolerates temperatures down to +4⁰C, ripens in 65 days. The plant is of medium height, produces ears 18 cm long with bright yellow grains. The taste is sweet, the seed pulp is juicy, well suited for cooking.
2. Jubilee F1 – mid-season variety, ripens in 95 days. The plant is tall - up to 2.5 m, forms 15 ears 20 cm long. The seeds are bright yellow, the shell is thin. Can be stored for a long time, suitable for preservation. Has high immunity to infection.
3. The sweet Bonduelle variety includes a hybrid Bonus F1 – early ripening, with good taste, the fruits are used at the stage of milky ripeness for cooking, and the ripe ones are used for preservation. The crop is planted for the food industry and in private gardens. Corn grains are dark yellow, the shell is thin.
4. Ladozhskaya 191 - popular corn in the Leningrad region, it is grown in personal plots and farm areas. A mid-early variety, often found in the Urals. The culture matures in 3.5 months. The plant is 1.7 cm high, the cobs are up to 20 cm, the grains are bright yellow.

The best varieties of corn for the Moscow region that can be planted in open ground:

1. Trophy – a sweet variety of Dutch selection, ripens in 70 days. Tall crop - up to 1.9 m, forms cobs 25 cm long, 40 cm in diameter, weighing 220 g. The grains are light golden with a thin skin, suitable for canning and cooking.
2. Hybrid Andrea – with a growing season of 2.5 months. The plant is medium-sized - up to 1.5 m, produces conical-shaped cobs, 18 cm long. The seeds are large, the fruits at the stage of conditional maturity are used for cooking, and after ripening - for canning.
3. Gamma – an ultra-early ripening variety, corn can be picked in 70-75 days. The height of the plant is up to 2 m. The ears reach up to 28 cm, the average weight is 270 g. The grains are large, bright orange.

Along with vegetable species, the low-growing variety of corn Vulcan is popular among gardeners. Grains with a high concentration of liquid burst when heated.

When to plant corn in spring in Siberia

Planting of crops is oriented towards the climatic features of the area. There is no need to rush into planting seeds; if the soil has not warmed up, the plant will not sprout. In the middle zone, corn planting dates are in early or mid-May, the soil temperature should not be lower than +16⁰ C. Early ripening varieties have time to ripen; late varieties are not cultivated in temperate climates.

Corn sowing in the Urals and Siberia is 2 weeks later; planting is carried out at the end of May or beginning of June, depending on the temperature. After the sprouts appear, it is recommended to cover the crop with dark material. The black color attracts ultraviolet radiation, the material will protect the plant from night frosts.

What temperature can corn withstand?

The historical homeland of corn is South America, a heat-loving crop. Standard seeds of the variety do not germinate at soil temperatures below +10 C. Panicles will not bloom if the minimum temperature is +15⁰ C. Favorable conditions for growing season – +23⁰ C. Frosts affect seedlings.Even at zero temperatures, the growth of young shoots stops. In all respects, planting and growing in Siberia and the Urals is practically impossible.

Through many years of work, breeders were able to create varieties that meet the requirements of a temperate climate. Hybrid seeds, after planting in open ground, can withstand temperatures down to -2⁰ C. This is not a record, some varieties can withstand frost down to -4⁰ C.

Germination of the crop in a warm climate zone is within 8 days, at a fairly high temperature. Early varieties, adapted to the weather conditions of Siberia and the Urals, germinate in the same period at relatively low temperatures.

Selection and preparation of a site for corn in Siberia

It will not be possible to plant corn in any place you like. The plant is picky about soil composition. The crop will not grow in waterlogged soil with a high concentration of salts and high acidity. Planting requires loose, fertile, oxygen-enriched soil.

Before planting a crop, you need to prepare the area:

1. The soil is loosened in the fall and the roots are removed. weed.
2. Organic matter, potash and phosphate fertilizers are added.
3. You can sow winter rye and dig it up along with the seedlings in the spring.

In the spring, 3 days before planting, the area is loosened again and nitrogen-containing agents are added.

How to grow corn in Siberia and the Urals

In the cold climate of Siberia, the Urals, and the Leningrad region, there are two ways to grow corn:

• planting seeds in the ground - this applies to mid-early varieties;
• seedling method - for early ripening culture.

Planting corn seeds in open ground

Growing corn in Siberia by planting seeds on a bed is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Furrows are filled to a depth of 7 cm, watered, and planting begins when the moisture has been completely absorbed.
2. The row spacing is 55 cm.
3. The distance between nests is 35 cm.
4. Place 3 seeds in each hole.

The plant produces male and female flowers and requires pollination. Planting crops in one row will reduce productivity. Form a bed of at least 4 rows. After germination, one strong sprout is left, the rest are removed.

Planting corn seedlings

To increase the yield and shorten the growing season in an open garden bed, it is recommended to grow corn seedlings in the middle zone. This method works well in colder regions. Planting begins in the second half of April in Central Russia. In Siberia they begin to sow corn for seedlings in the second ten days of May. The scheme for planting seedlings is no different from sowing seeds.

How to care for corn in Siberia

After planting, the plant requires standard care for rapid growth in short summer conditions. Agricultural technology consists of watering, fertilizing, and getting rid of weeds.

Watering

After planting the seeds, watering is carried out when seedlings appear. The schedule depends on precipitation; the plant is heat-loving, but not drought-resistant; the top layer of soil should not be allowed to dry out. Excess moisture for the crop is also undesirable. Watering is increased at the time of cob formation. If precipitation falls 2 times a week, this is enough for the crop.

Weeding and loosening

Loosening is an essential element of agricultural technology; plant growth after planting depends on how much the root system is enriched with oxygen.The first weeding is carried out when the seedlings grow to 10 cm, subsequent weedings are carried out as needed, preferably after each watering. When the plant begins to throw out panicles, it is recommended to hill it up to better retain moisture.

Top dressing

It will not be possible to grow a good corn crop in Siberia at the dacha without adding fertilizers to the soil during planting and subsequent fertilizing. Feeding is given in 3 stages:

• after the formation of the 4th leaf, a solution of bird droppings or manure is added under the root;
• after 21 days by 1 m² scatter the mixture: saltpeter (20 g), potassium salts (20 g), superphosphate (40 g);
• when 8 leaves are formed, give a complex remedy, which contains manganese, zinc, copper.

Diseases and pests of corn in Siberia

For preventive purposes, seeds are disinfected before planting. During planting, Planriz solution is added to the hole. If the measures do not produce results, and the development of a fungal infection is observed on the plant, the crop is treated with the following drugs:

• "Vincite";
• "Optima";
• "Sternifage".

Affected plants are removed from the site and burned. The planting site is watered with boiling water.

If after planting the plant grows slowly, the leaves are wavy, the ears are underdeveloped with rudiments of seeds, and there is a sign of the development of helminthosporiosis, then the cause is a nutrient deficiency. Immediately after planting, it is necessary to apply potassium-containing fertilizers. If the disease has developed, fertilizing is repeated.

Parasitic pests:

• wireworm;
• aphid;
• scoop;
• turtle.

For prevention, crop rotation is observed, and repellent plants, such as soybeans, are planted nearby.When planting and growing crops in the Urals and Siberia, it is not recommended to use chemicals; contact bioinsecticides are used against pests - “Aktofit”, “Bitoxibacillin”.

When does corn ripen in Siberia?

Planting seeds in open ground slows down the growing season and ripening of cobs by 15 days; the seedling method speeds up the time. The ripening time depends on what variety of plants are planted. The cobs are removed for consumption at the stage of milky-wax ripeness, approximately at the end of August and until mid-September.

In the Urals and in the middle zone, hybrids are used for planting, which do not produce full-fledged planting material. In the short summer conditions of the Urals and Siberia, the crop does not have time to reach biological ripeness.

Conclusion

Planting corn in Siberia, the Moscow region and the Urals is possible with the right choice of variety. Specially created hybrids for temperate climates are frost-resistant. Early ripening species after planting have time to ripen in a short summer. On a personal plot or dacha, a crop of sweet varieties is grown for cooking and canning.

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