Which Fertilizer Works Best for Corn?

Organic

• Early Native Americans used dead fish as corn fertilizers, which they would place underneath each corn seed. The method worked because decaying fish, like all decaying organic matter, release nitrogen as microorganisms in the soil break them down. According to Texas A&M University, nitrogen is vital for promoting plant growth since plants use it for creating amino acids -- the building blocks of all plant tissues. Apart from dead fish, there are several types of organic fertilizers that you can use for growing corn, including animal manures and compost. Compost fertilizers are especially beneficial options because they have the potential to be free of cost -- provided you are willing to set up and maintain a compost pile or container. If you own livestock, manure also has the potential to be free. Other top-rated organic fertilizer options for corn include alfalfa meal and bloodmeal, according to the National Gardening Association.

Commercial

• In comparison to organic fertilizers, commercial fertilizers have more regulated impacts on corn plants, since the amount of nitrogen they contain is fixed and will not vary from manure pile to manure pile or from compost bin to compost bin. This makes it easier for farmers and gardeners to prevent over- and under-fertilizing. The majority of commercial fertilizers contain three primary ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium -- the quantities of which are represented in that same order by three numbers on a fertilizer's packaging, respectively. According to West Virginia University, the best commercial fertilizers for corn have nitrogen ratios that are even with or greater than the phosphorus and potassium quantities, such as 1-1-1 and 2-1-1 fertilizers.

Supplemental

• The best fertilizer treatment program for corn depends heavily on the soil conditions that the corn is growing in. While nitrogen is always essential for corn development, some situations require supplemental fertilizers. As the University of Minnesota notes, a sulfur fertilizer is the best option for corn plants growing in sandy soils, while a magnesium fertilizer is ideal for corn plants growing in acidic soils. Sulfur helps plants produce proteins and form chlorophyll, while magnesium is a constituent of chlorophyll and helps activate plant enzymes.