How to Kill Weeds in a Corn Garden

Soil Preparation

• 1

  Place a 1-inch layer of newspaper over the entire section of garden where you will plant the corn to kill the weeds in advance. For the best results, apply the newspaper to the garden in the fall before planting corn in the spring.

• 2

  Cover the newspaper with a 1-inch layer of peat moss.

• 3

  Apply about 3 inches of yard clippings, grass and leaves to the top of the peat moss.

• 4

  Continue layering the peat moss and yard clippings until they reach a height of 12 inches.

• 5

  Spread a thin layer of wood ashes from a fireplace over the stack.

• 6

  Allow the pile to sit and break down all winter before the spring planting season. This will kill any existing weeds in the soil by smothering them, and will also create a rich compost that will enrich the soil when you plant your corn.

Mulching & Weed Killer

• 7

  Plant your corn seeds closer together than normal. Place two or three corn seeds in the same planting hole. Space the next planting hole 4 to 6 inches away, which is about half the distance corn plants are normally spaced. The closer groupings of corn plants will help keep weeds from sprouting, as there simply will not be enough room for them.

• 8

  Mulch your corn plants. Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch to your garden after your corn plants are a few inches tall. The mulch will help snuff out weed growth.

• 9

  Mix a solution of 2 parts of any kind of vinegar with 8 parts water.

• 10

  Pour the solution into a spray bottle and shake the bottle to thoroughly combine the ingredients

• 11

  Spray the vinegar solution on any weeds you find among your corn plants. Vinegar is non-toxic, but it can damage your corn plants, so avoid getting it on the corn when you use it.