KNF Specific or Additional Maintenance for “Heavy Feeder” crops? (Sweet corn)

I am starting out a KNF test trial to grow sweet corn in east Hawaii. We have notoriously compact and mineral depleted soil and sweet corn is known as a “heavy feeder” crop, and so I was wondering if there are specific KNF protocols for growing “heavy feeders” or, if not, any suggestions for simply growing corn optimally? or found any learning resources on KNF and corn production? Thanks 🙂

Plant Growth Management applications plants sweet corn plant growth management learning material

suzepureknf asked 1 month ago

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Answers (1)

KNF for heavy feeders such as corn, garlic, onions, leafy greens and others we want to change up the nutrient cycle to fit the plant and instead of doing a chubby, skinny, chubby, skinny cycle we change it to chubby, chubby, skinny cycle to give the plant the more nitrogen it requires in the leaf formula …this is the way of the nutrient cycle, in KNF we change the cycle to fit the plant we are growing while their are heavy nitrogen feeders their are also heavy phosphorus feeders that might prefer a chubby, skinny, skinny cycle a flower during its bloom stage might like a extra dose or two of bloom formula each nutrient cycle differs depending on the plant and its nutrient needs …another way of adding nitrogen to heavy feeders is to bury fish and/or other animal bits, sprinkling used coffee grounds, spreading alfalfa pellets, or planting legumes around the plants … a method called 3 sisters has been used for years on corn specifically, by planting pole beans next to the corn we not only give the bean something to grow up but it is a legume that fixes nitrogen from the air and with the help of microbes creates nodules on its roots that are full of nitrogen that the corn can tap into, by planting squash at the base of the corn the squash is a much higher phosphorus feeder taking up the unused nutrients left behind by the corn thats feeding higher on nitrogen the corn also adds a lil bit of shade that the squash likes and the squash keeps the soil cool and helps to retain moister in the soil, but there is a sister thats not spoken about as much that adds a great deal to the 3 sisters setup and that is sunflowers they help bring in pollinators, create deep tap roots to break up the soil and help to create a overall healthier soil

…..to help with soil compaction tilling the soil once and adding some organic material and dolomite lime will help break up the soil, also by using the 2 step KNF method to build soil will greatly improve the soil

Step 1
Spread Microbes ~3lb/100sqft (1200lb/acre)
Step 2
Apply Soil Formula 5gal/100sqft (2000gal/acre)
Repeat step 2 every 7 days for 2-4 weeks before sowing

to help with the lack of minerals do a soil treatment drench 1:30 can go 1:15 if lots of rainfall of sea water this will help to replace the minerals in the soil