Episode 10: Feed Your Plants (So They Can Feed You)

James in Zone 7 

A: It's hard to say without seeing the plant, especially the ear. Different problems manifest differently depending on the conditions. 

• Start with a soil test, of course, and then plant good genetics. So, get a tried-and-true variety of corn and understand what the ultimate length of that ear will be. 
• Just remember the ear starts forming in the plant at a very young age, long before we ever see any silk from that ear. So it's important to keep that corn plant growing vigorously from the time it emerges to the time you pick your ear of corn. Corn is a heavy feeder, especially with nitrogen. I like to use Sweet Corn Alive!™ It's a good all-purpose fertilizer for corn. Keep your patch well-irrigated, and plant several rows to ensure good pollination. 
• If you want especially large ears of corn, try our new Cornzilla™. It's an oversize ear with delicious eating qualities. 

Shop Gurney’s sweet corn and Gardens Alive! plant foods.  

Todd in Zone 9 

A: Our seeds are non-GMO and non-bioengineered. Gurney's has taken the Safe Seed Pledge, which states that we will not knowingly sell a plant or seed that has been genetically modified. 

We do sell heirlooms. Also many open-pollinated varieties and traditionally bred hybrids. 

Sharon in Zone 6  

A: The advice I'm going to give here is for all peppers, basically.  

• Start with a soil test—you've heard me say that before.  
• Then add a fertilizer; I really like our Peppers Alive!™ fertilizer. It's mild and has many natural ingredients. I mix that into the soil and then, you know, that gets peppers off to a good, vigorous start. Do the next side dressing of fertilization at bloom.  
• The one thing you want to avoid is excess nitrogen. That makes the plant grow too vigorously, where you get a bunch of foliage and hardly any blooms and fruit. It also invites sucking insects like aphids to come and infest your plants. So it's best to stay away from too much nitrogen. 

Shop Gurney’s hot peppers and plant foods.