This is the first time I am putting out a garden by myself. I am only putting out corn, green beans, cucumbers and a few watermelons and pumpkins. What is the best way to lay out the plants in the garden?
This is entirely up to you but the following articles may help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/the-layout-of-your-vegetable-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/vegetable-garden-design.htm
My corn is only knee high and it already is tasseling out and it's standard size corn. Tomato's leaves are drying up, and there are small white fly-like bugs all over them. Some are just stems now.
First, both of these crops need plenty of water, especially corn as they have very shallow roots. Make sure they are receiving at least 2 inches of water per week, or about 20 min. of deep watering. As for your tomatoes and white flies, this can be treated with neem oil. Here is more information that should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/whitefly-control.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm
We are growing corn this year for the first time. The outside of the corn is turning red, is this normal or is it dying?
It should not be turning red. It sounds like it may have a phosphorous deficiency. This can be caused by a lack of phosphorous in the soil or a lack of water so the plant is unable to take phosphorous up from the soil. Give the plant some bone meal or other phosphorous heavy fertilizer and try increasing water to the corn.
Does there seem to be more flies than usual this year? I have a lot around our corn and strawberries. and even in my greenhouse. They just seem to be everywhere. What can I do to get rid of them or are some plants attracting flies?
Yes, there are likely more this year due to the fact that many of us experienced a milder than usual winter, which means those fly populations did not get killed off. It's also been an extremely hot/humid summer this year, which the flies seem to like.
Flies in garden areas are normally attracted to manure fertilizer, sweet fruits and even pollen. They also like trash, so if there is any around, you'll need to get rid of that. If you are prone to using compost or manure, keep the pile away from your gardening area. The best way to control flies is to make natural fly traps and place them around your garden or problem areas.
Here is a good recipe/method you could try: poke holes in an empty gallon milk jug. Fill it halfway with a mixture of 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1/4 cup of cider vinegar and water. The flies will go into the holes after the sweet liquid and become trapped and drown.
I would love to help my corn grow better. Not faster, but better. Thank you! Vishah321~
These articles will help with growing corn: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/corn/how-to-grow-corn.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/corn/grow-sweet-corn.htm
I live on the east coast of Fl. in zone 9. For the life of me I can't get corn to grow. I start it in pots, it comes up quick, transfer it to a grow box, and then it dies. This summer I finally got tassels and corn came out on the stalks and died. Also frustating, is when the corn gets say a foot high and something eats the leaves with small thin holes. I have it in pots now, it is tasseling but this is where the problem starts. Soil is decent soil from Lowes with a good pH.
Corn doesn't transplant well, so you may want to start with just direct planting the seeds so that the roots system is stronger.
As you are growing in containers, I would also recommend that you increase water, especially after it starts tasseling. If the container has proper drainage, you should be watering at least once a day and at least 2X a day if the temps get up over 85F.
The holes may be caused by slugs. This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm
Our corn barely formed kernels. We had decent stalks but tiny ears and no real ears at all.
This sounds like a problem with pollination. If the corn is not properly pollination, it will grow poor ears. Next year, you may want to consider hand pollinating the corn. Here is more information on that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/corn/corn-pollination-how-to-hand-pollinate-corn.htm