The 5 Best Fertilizer for Corn & Get the Most of Yields Faster

Sometimes corn is called as maize, mielie, sweet corn, etc. names. Whatever you call them, they need high-quality fertilizers to grow and produce corn fully. They are the life sources to provide the corns necessary soil nutrients and minerals.

We are some enthusiastic but experienced people fond of agriculture. In the past few years, we worked on different fruits, flowers, vegetable fields. Now, we have a list of the best fertilizer for corn, prepared upon our vast experience. Would you like to enhance your farming knowledge?

Favorite List of Fertilizer for Corn

1. Best Organic: Burpee Organic Fertilizer
“it contains pure blood meal without any inorganic ingredients.”

2. Best All-Purpose: Triple 10 All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
“Equal distribution of nutrients for balanced corn production.”

3. Best Root-Growth: Scotts Turf Lawn Food Fertilizer
“Makes root deeper and stronger.”

4. Best Slow-Release: Espoma Garden-Tone Plant Food
“Offers slow-release, consistent feeding to the plants.”

5. Best for Collard Greens: Easy Peasy Urea Fertilizer
“Highest quantity of nitrogen for faster growth.”

How much fertilizer do you need for corn?

NPK ratio (amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) is the identifier of good fertilizer. It also suggests the number of helpful elements for targeted applications.

Corns require plenty amount of nitrogen for successful growth. They absorb 65% nitrogen when the flowering begins, 10% nitrogen is accumulated in the seeding stage when trees get V5 (5 leaves). When corn grows from V6 (6 leaves) to V18 (18 leaves) at the rapid growth stage, 8 pounds of nitrogen in a one-acre area per 24 hours are absorbed.

After all, we have found that you may need to use one pound of nitrogen per bushel of grain produces in one acre area. Therefore, phosphorus helps in making the roots strong and growing them properly. On the other hand, potassium works on overall growth, from root development to corn production.

The Best Fertilizer for Corn Reviews in 2021

We already shared that we do farming. So, we took care of several products which are applicable in maize fields. Some of them work for root growth, some in increasing the ear size of corns. However, these are the chosen products among several brands:

1. Burpee Organic Fertilizer for Sweet Corn

We are starting our list with a complete organic fertilizer for corn plants. Burpee blood fertilizer is a proven solution to having healthy, bright ears of corn. It comes in 3 pounds pack from the United States. Also, it has been approved as OMRI listed for organic gardening.

The blood meal is well-known stuff used by classic farmers. It is an ancient ingredient used in cultivations. Also, you can consider it as an excellent starter fertilizer for the rich quality. You can mix this Burpee fertilizer to gain a profitable harvest.

Its NPK ratio is 12-0-0. So, corns get a tremendous amount of nitrogen from the fertilizer. It also improves the soil quality by supporting the microorganisms. You can also apply it for other vegetables and fruit cultivations like tomato, squash, melons, spinach, broccoli, etc.

What makes it different:

It contains only nitrogen without any phosphorus or potassium. So, corns get the right amount of nitrogen in all stages of growth.

2. Triple 10 All-Purpose – Best Liquid Fertilizer for Corn

Excessive use of nitrogen can damage the corn plants. But a balanced fertilizer can prevent damages and improve the overall growth of corns. If you prefer fertilizer with balanced nutrients, Triple 10 liquid fertilizer is only for you. This highly concentrated product is available in 2.64 pounds container.

It is highly concentrated, which can make up to 32 gallons of fertilizer after diluting it in water. You can apply the solution with an easy measure and pour a bottle. So, you are already benefitted from using in large cornfields.

It has a 10-10-10 NPK ratio with necessary amino acids and seaweed extracts. All these nutrients together work fine in any stage of corn growth. Likewise, the production increases more when you water the soil every 1-2 weeks besides using it.

What makes it different:

A well-known all-purpose fertilizer for having balanced nutrients with extra amino acids and seaweed extracts. No risk of hampering the lush foliage and corn production.

3. Scotts Turf Lawn Food Starter Fertilizer for Corn

We have got another excellent grass-type plant fertilizer for your cornfields. The Scotts is an all-rounder lawn care and maintenance company. Their Turf Builder Lawn Food is the growth booster we are talking about. Now, it can bring the profusion of the bright green corns. Our belief and experience with this product remain cheerful and versatile.

It has a 32-0-4 NPK ratio that means you can feed the corns in real. The fluency of nitrogen helps to grow the roots of corn strongly. It also offers resilience and lushness of the plants to stay proper and straight in any weather condition. Even it can recover the burnt plants due to adverse conditions.

Scotts used all-in-one Particle technology to produce this fertilizer. This technology helps to feed nutrients in all stages of growth. The 12.5 pounds product can cover up to 5000 sq. feet area. Besides these, you can also apply this fertilizer to build a grassy lawn in any season, from spring to fall.

What makes it different:

All-in-One Particle technology clarifies Scotts Lawn Food fertilizer as a chosen one for all grass-type plants, including corns. Crop roots become more profound and stronger with resilience power for eloquent nitrogen.

4. Espoma Garden Tone Plant Food – Best Organic Fertilizer for Corn

Espoma Garden-Tone fertilizer is wholly natural and organic food for the corns. We expected an organic fertilizer to work efficiently, and now we got Espoma. It has unparalleled quality of growing all-season fruits, vegetables, and other garden plants. Choose the 4 pounds pack for mixing it in the soil.

It is improved Bio-tone microbes technology. Also, it is approved for safe organic cultivation. Moreover, there is no use of artificial harmful chemicals or additives. So, there is no risk of damaging the growth of corns at all. Once you apply the food, it will ensure the juiciness of soil for a long time while releasing essential nutrients slowly.

You can add this soil fertilizer before and amid the plantation of corns. We used it monthly from May through August for better results as they suggested applying. Surprisingly, it has a low NPK ratio of 3-4-4. But we recommend this for longtime feeding. We also found it having fewer salts so that it can prevent corn from burning.

What makes it different:

Bio-tone microbes technology offers durable, slow-release nutrients feeding with all-natural ingredients. We recommend this fertilizer to grow all-season crops, including corns.

5. Easy Peasy Urea Fertilizer

We always hear one thing from the experts – Nitrogen is the core material to stimulate the rapid growth of trees. So, we decided to apply (in fact, finding) the best fertilizer sourcing a huge quantity of nitrogen. Then, we found Easy Peasy Urea fertilizer; the name says it all. It is formulated for fast-acting in picking up harvests.

It comes in a 5 pounds bag containing fertilizer of a 46-0-0 NPK ratio. Can you believe that a soil food with the highest quality and amount of nitrogen? We were surprised as it was all about “synthetic” material. But it has no toxic or hazardous ingredients that can damage the corns. You can also test the product in different flowers, fruits, and gardening purposes.

The superpower of this product is increasing the length (or height) of corn trees and boosting production. Consequently, the resealable pack ensures you keep the material sealed for the next applications. After all, a product meant for collard greens. If you seek phosphorus or potassium, you may not prefer this, by the way.

What makes it different:

Easy Peasy is best for collard greens and lush foliage. It has the highest quality and ratio of having nitrogen for enhanced corn production.

How do you apply fertilizer to corn?

First, you need to test the soil. Then, you can follow these methods to apply fertilizers to corn:

• Before Seeding:

First, spread 2 or 2.5 inches of compost over the field. Then, lightly sprinkle or mix nitrogen-based organic fertilizers. Use a spade to mix the compost and fertilizer well. As a result, the mixture will be 4-6 inches deep. Now, you can plant the corn seeds.

• Sprouts Care:

Try to apply liquid or granule fertilizer of 10-10-10 or close to it when the average height of corn sprouts will be 4-5 inches. The NPK ratio can be reduced or increased upon soil test. Adding some organic mulch at 2-3 inches thickness can be better with fertilizers. Re-apply the fertilizer when plants grow at 10 inches height. This is the best time for applying more nitrogen to the soil. The last time to use fertilizers when you see silk coming from the corns.

Can you over-fertilize corn?

We always think that using excessive materials may bring faster and brighter results. But in the case of corn cultivation this is not true. Fertilizers are good for growing plants stronger. But over usages of fertilizers can adverse effects. As an example, sweet corn grows well if you apply nitrogen and phosphorus well. But if the quantity of nitrogen is higher, then it may weaken the stems. Also, it may heat the field soon, which can let the plants burnt.

Is starter fertilizer advantageous for corn?

Antonio Mallarino, a soil fertility agronomist from Iowa State University Extension, says, colder soil and slow root growth condition is suitable for expecting early growth by applying starter fertilizer. But the grain yield may not be equal to early development. Again, some other experts suggest using fertilizers mainly when corns are at rapid growth or V6 stage. So, it is not always advantageous as our expectation to apply starter fertilizer.

Buying Guide – Choosing the Best Corn Fertilizer

When you are planning to put on fertilizers, you may get hundreds of ideas and names about corn fertilizer. But we are adding simple thoughts besides listing the best fertilizers for corn. You may get benefits if you follow these buying instructions:

Types of Fertilizers

Fertilizers are available in different forms. You can purchase concentrated, spikes, pellets, spray, etc., type fertilizers. But concentrated, pellets or granular types of fertilizers are primarily preferable for heavy-duty crop production. You can use them by mixing them into the soil. However, some of them are also applicable with sprayers.

Have a Soil Test

You may have already thought of skipping this point. But most experts suggest doing a soil test before planting seeds of corns. Testing the soil may indicate what type or quantity of fertilizers you would require.

Quantity of Fertilizers

High-quality products come with or mention the processes of applying them. You can read the application instructions written on the packages of fertilizers. Also, we suggest you follow a trial-and-error method for hands-on experience. Then, you can multiply or reduce the quantity according to growth development.

NPK Ratio

Nitrogen is a common ingredient of most fertilizers. It helps to produce the natural color of plants. Phosphorus and potassium work for overall growth. NPK ratio helps to know which one is greater in amount and suitable for a particular purpose. You can learn about the ratio written on the package’s body. However, we suggest you follow the NPK ratio to avoid unnecessary incidents.

Select the Organic Product

Organic fertilizers are always suitable for crop production. These fertilizers don’t have any harmful chemicals that may block the flow of feeding the right nutrients. Also, they can harm the soil microorganisms, which help to release nutrients slowly and consistently. You should prefer organic fertilizers to maintain the yields and taste of corn.

Final Verdict

We thank you for reading the entire content on the best fertilizer for corn. As you see, we mentioned five sweet corn fertilizing products. All of them are superior to corn growth, ears of corn production.

You should choose the right fertilizer for corn crops offering the correct quantity of NPK. After all, a great decision can give you an exciting return for an extended period.