How to Plant Corn for Geese

It is not uncommon to see geese among labor-intensive crops. Just what they're doing there may seem like a mystery to some, but to the farmers who utilize weeder geese, it is nothing short of cheap labor. Weeder geese are used to control both weeds and insects in many kinds of crops, including cotton, strawberries, tobacco and corn. Geese do not cause as much damage to growing corn crops as hoeing, and they leave nutritious manure behind as they work. Corn that will be weeded by geese does not require any special preparation; plant it the same as any other corn.

Instructions

- 1
  Plant corn when the soil and air temperatures regularly reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant corn in blocks made of short rows rather than in a few short rows, as this will increase the available pollen to all the corn plants. Space seeds 9 to 12 inches apart in rows that are 24 to 30 inches apart. Place seeds 1 to 2 inches below the soil.
- 2
  Select a breed of goose to place in your field. White Chinese and African geese are popular since they can be raised to market weights on the weeds that sprout up around the corn. Toulouse or Emden geese are also used, but they are not as active as Chinese and African geese.
- 3
  Brood day-old geese until they are six to eight weeks old before placing them on the corn field. Four geese per acre should be sufficient if placed on the corn field in the spring. Wait for corn to mature some before placing geese on the field, as the geese may eat tender young corn plants. Weeder geese will also clean up after the corn has been harvested.

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