Growing sweet corn is possible, even if you don't have a huge garden or farmland. Here's how to grow corn.
Grow Sweet Corn in Your Own Backyard
When I was young, I asked my father why he didn’t grow sweet corn in his garden. He answered that you need a big garden to grow corn. Later, when I had my own vegetable garden, I proved growing sweet corn in a smaller space is doable, once you understand some basic requirements. Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Plant Sweet Corn
All corn varieties, including sweet and ornamental corn, need the same growing conditions to thrive.
- Choose a location in full sun. If you can, plant sweet corn in a spot where you grew beans, peas or other legume vegetables the year before.
- Wait until your garden is frost-free. Corn does not tolerate frost and prefers warmer soils to germinate.
- Before sowing seeds, remove weeds and add compost to enrich the soil. Corn is a heavy feeder.
- Plant the corn in blocks at least three rows wide, with a minimum row length of 8 feet. Space rows about 18 inches apart in the block. Within each row, sow four or five seeds one inch deep in “hills” (small mounds of soil) spaced about one foot apart. Once seedlings germinate, thin to two seedlings per hill.
- When planting corn later in the season, bury each seed 2 inches deep to ensure it doesn’t dry out during germination.
Sweet Corn Care and Growing Tips
Watering
Sweet corn needs about 1 inch of rain a week, especially when ears are forming. If your garden doesn’t get that amount of rain, plan to water the corn patch.
Weeding
Weeds compete with corn plants for soil nutrients. Lightly cultivate around the corn to remove any weeds, being careful not to damage or disturb the corn roots.
Fertilizing
In many gardens, extra fertilizer may be needed to grow corn. Test your soil to determine if any nutrients are lacking and apply the appropriate fertilizer based on that information. You can also safely use an organic fertilizer labeled for vegetable gardens. Choose a balanced fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK). Read the package and follow instructions closely.
Corn Pollination
Unlike some other vegetables like cucumbers and squash, wind pollinates corn. When the corn begins to show tassels (strands at the top of the plant), wind blows the pollen from the tassels to the silks of the just-forming ears. That’s why it’s best to plant the corn in blocks instead of one long row, increasing the chances of adequate pollination.
Corn that isn’t well-pollinated will produce ears with gaps in the kernels. To prevent different varieties from cross-pollinating, which can affect the taste, only grow one variety of sweet corn at a time. Or provide adequate spacing, 300 feet or more, between different varieties.
Managing Garden Pests
Corn earworms are common pests. They’re more of a problem later in the summer, so most home gardeners can avoid them by planting corn earlier in the season. The corn earworm is generally only found in the tip of the ear, so cutting off the tip with a sharp knife is also a good, safe option.
Additionally, Kansas State University’s department of horticulture recommends that you install fencing to deter raccoons.
Extend Your Harvest
To harvest sweet corn throughout the summer, plant a block approximately every two weeks. Check the seed packet to determine how long the corn needs to ripen to maturity, so you aren’t planting that last block too late to pick ears before your first frost.
How Long Does It Take to Grow Sweet Corn?
Generally, it takes two to three months from sowing seeds to picking ripe sweet corn. The exact amount of time depends on the variety. Usually, the number of days from sowing to harvest will be noted on the seed packet.
‘Honey and Cream’ hybrid sweet corn takes approximately 84 days to mature after the seed germinates. ‘Inferno’ hybrid sweet corn takes approximately 73 days, and ‘Silver N Gold’ hybrid sweet corn approximately 65 days.
How to Harvest Sweet Corn
Most sweet corn is ready to pick about three weeks after you see silks, the long hair-like strands sticking up from the top of the ear. Silks should be brown but not dried; the husks should still be dark green.
To verify ripeness, carefully pull back the husk and gently squeeze a kernel to see if the corn is at the “milk stage.” If it’s ripe, the liquid that comes out will be milky white.
To harvest, grab the ear, pull it down and twist gently. Most ears in a stand of corn will ripen within a week or so.
For the tastiest corn, cook and enjoy it as soon as possible. The sugars in stored sweet corn quickly turn to starch, which will affect the taste and texture.
