Consistent moisture will encourage bigger, fatter ears of corn, so it’s hard to over-emphasize the importance of this.You may choose to fertilize at planting time with a general purpose (10-10-10 fertilizer) corn is meant to grow rapidly.Ĭheck out this video for great tips on growing juicy corn:.Don’t plant too close together or you run the risk of disappointingly small cobs. Sow seeds about 1½ to 2 inches deep and 12 inches apart in rows 2½ to 3 feet apart.One strand connects to one kernel, so for complete fill, every strand of the silk must be pollinated. The silks protruding from the end of each cob are responsible for carrying the pollen down to the kernels. Incomplete or inconsistent kernel development, with the cobs only partly or sporadically filled, is down to poor pollination. This maximizes the chances of the pollen released from the male tassels at the top of the plants drifting down into contact with the female silks lower down. For decent pollination, we recommend a modest block of, say, 10 to 50 plants. Because corn is wind-pollinated, it’s essential to plant in a block, rather than a single row.To speed germination, moisten seeds, wrap in moist paper towels, and store in a plastic bag for 24 hours.A couple of weeks after planting your first round of corn, plant another round in order to extend the harvest.The ground can be warmed by a black plastic cover sow seeds through holes in the plastic. If you live in an area with a shorter growing season, choose an early variety that will mature well before the first fall frost. See our Planting Calendar for corn based on average frost dates. Usually, this is 2 or 3 weeks after the last frost in spring. Corn is very sensitive to frost do not plant soil temperature is at least 60☏ (16☌), or 65☏ (18☌) for super-sweet varieties.Most gardeners sow corn directly in the garden soil (versus indoors) so that their sensitive roots aren’t disturbed when transplanting.Corn is a hungry plant, so it’s important to enrich beds with lots of organic matter such as garden compost (ideally, in the fall). Soil needs to be consistently moist (though well-draining),as corn tends to suck up a lot of water. Plant in full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight). The most common reasons for slow growth include poor light levels, not enough moisture, or a lack of nutrients. Learn more about the different varieties of corn below. Varieties bred for sweetness hold their taste for longer too, but the sooner you cook them after picking, the better. Hybrid or F1 varieties of sweet corn may cost a bit more but they’re worth every penny, yielding cobs with a superior flavor, especially if you pick one of the supersweet types. Have you ever had the intensely disappointing experience of tucking into a juicy-looking sweet corn cob only to find it tastes bland? This is the number one reason why paying a little bit more for your seeds really pays dividends. Types of Sweet Cornįor a continuous supply of sweet corn, plant early, mid-season, and late varieties or plant every 2 or 3 weeks. This is why we plant corn in blocks of short rows instead of long, single rows. Mid to late spring is just fine, once any chance of frosts are long gone.Īnd corn is a grass! A member of the Poaceae family, corn relies on wind to pollinate its flowers, not bees or insects. Don’t be tempted to sow too early though. Native to the Americas, sweet corn has been cultivated for thousands of years it’s famous as one of the Three Sisters-corn, beans, and squash-grown by Native Americans.Ī long, frost-free growing season (60 to 100 frost-free days) is necessary to grow and harvest corn. Sweet corn is a tender, warm-season annual crop that produces ears of yellow, white, or bi-colored kernels. Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest sweet corn in the garden. Corn needs to be planted properly for optimal pollination. How do we grow the sweet corn of our dreams-full, juicy, and oh-so-delicious? It’s disheartening when there are gaps left in our cobs’ kernels.
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