Corn in a hugel bed?

There is a bit of wood at my work that I have been given permission to take. It's ancient fire wood. Anyway, I've been considering my corn planting plans and am now wondering if a hugelbed would be a good place to plant corn. Anyone done it?

I was going to throw some corn seed into my newish hugel up on the mountain, just to see what would happen.
My concern was about nitrogen so I already have clover growing on it.

I would be concerned with the corn falling or getting blown over in the wind (I understand it gets pretty gusty in WY). What about planting it in a couple rows at the base of the hugelmound on the leeward side of the prevailing wind. I think you would be less likely to suffer from the N robbing that could occur, and that area would stay considerably wetter being at the base of the mound and protected from desiccating winds. If you set that sucker up just right you might be able to really create a nice little micro-climate that would be a lot warmer and less windy, and the corn might really like it.

Dave Dahlsrud wrote:I would be concerned with the corn falling or getting blown over in the wind (I understand it gets pretty gusty in WY). What about planting it in a couple rows at the base of the hugelmound on the leeward side of the prevailing wind. I think you would be less likely to suffer from the N robbing that could occur, and that area would stay considerably wetter being at the base of the mound and protected from desiccating winds. If you set that sucker up just right you might be able to really create a nice little micro-climate that would be a lot warmer and less windy, and the corn might really like it.

Oh I'm not planning on mounding. Much too dry here for that. I was going to have a sunken hugel bed.

Miles Flansburg wrote:I was going to throw some corn seed into my newish hugel up on the mountain, just to see what would happen.
My concern was about nitrogen so I already have clover growing on it.

I have a ton of poultry bedding I think I might put over the logs before I add the dirt.

Your idea of making a sunken hugel and using the poultry bedding over the logs will work for planting corn. since corn can root above ground, be ready to add some dirt around the bases, that way you won't suffer from laydown.

Elle
Where you going to do the sunken hugel in conjunction with a small Crater garden. I guess what I'm asking is will the finished bed be below the surface grade (i.e. in a hole basically), or will it be even with the existing ground level. I'm just thinking it might be a pretty good way of retaining a lot of moisture and fertility. I would bet that corn would love something like that. Let us know how this thing turns out.

Dave Dahlsrud wrote:Elle
Where you going to do the sunken hugel in conjunction with a small Crater garden. I guess what I'm asking is will the finished bed be below the surface grade (i.e. in a hole basically), or will it be even with the existing ground level. I'm just thinking it might be a pretty good way of retaining a lot of moisture and fertility. I would bet that corn would love something like that. Let us know how this thing turns out.

I hadn't planned on planting in the bottom of a crater but now that you mention it it might be a great test to do. I'll do both and see what happens.