1st corn planting 2023 in Mayapan Yucatan Mexico

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 We planted 4 rows of corn today.  I'm actually about 2 weeks late to have 2 crops this year, but it will be fine.


Click here for short video of planting

Yucatan is a tropical climate, so we have 2 growing seasons a year, if you have water available.  The local Mayan farmers usually wait and plant their corn on June 1, because that is when the rainy season starts, and they need the water to get it up out of the ground and start to develop.  Since I have unlimited free water, and am sitting on an ocean of fresh water, I can plant a crop now, and in 4 months harvest it, about the end of May.  And then we can plant another crop on June 1 and let nature water, plus we make up what nature may be lacking in moisture.

The plants are about 9 per M2 and since the beds are 1 meter wide, that means 3 across and then a row about every 33cm.   Compared to Midwest USA farmers, or my farmer friend from Belize and Minnesota, I am very small time.  But for a local farmer, this is a lot of corn in a very small area.  I am hoping that from the results I get, I can convince more of the Mayans to go to raised beds rather than just scattering the seeds wherever they may find a spot of soil on the rocky ground.

As I mention in the video, I'll also have the added benefit in March, April and May of some partial shade for my citrus trees that I'm keeping pruning to develop the root structure.

We should see plants sprout up out of the ground in 4-7 days.   And then begins the battle with my nemesis the iguanas.

In a few days from now, I'm also going to experiment with covering the rest of the beds with black-eyed peas, that will ultimately be turned back into the soil, but will add nitrogen to the ground.



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