H O W TO G R O W C O R N

By Steve Albert 28 Comments

How to Grow Corn: Corn is a tender, warm-season annual that is best planted after the soil temperature reaches
60°F, usually 2 or 3 weeks after the last frost in spring.

Corn is a warm-season annual that is best planted after the soil

temperature reaches 60°F, usually two or three weeks after the last
frost in spring. Corn planted in cold, wet soil is unlikely to germinate.
• Corn grows best in air temperatures from 60° to 95°F.

• Corn can take from 60 to 100 days to reach harvest depending

upon variety and the amount of heat during the growing season.

About Corn. Corn is a tender annual and a member of the grass

family that can grow from 4 to12 feet tall. One to two ears of corn
form on the side of each tall, green, grass-like stalk. Flowering
tassels form at the top of each stalk; pollen falls from the tassels
onto silky threads growing from each ear below. Each silk is
connected to an unfertilized kernel. Each ear of corn forms as many
kernels as the number of silks that were pollinated. (Tassels are the
male flowers of the corn plant. Kernels and ears are the female
flowers.) Kernels of sweet corn can be yellow, white, black, red, or a
combination of colors. A large corn variety may form one or two
harvestable ears on each stalk. A dwarf variety may form two or
three harvestable ears per stalk. When pollination does not occur
the stalk will produce only a cob.

Corn Yield. Plant 12 to 20 corn plant per household member.

Site. Plant corn in full sun. Corn grows best in loose, well-worked,
well-drained soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Add aged compost to the
planting area before planting. Add aged compost to the planting
area the autumn before planting.

Corn Planting Time. Corn is a tender, warm-season annual that is

best planted after the soil temperature reaches 60°F, usually 2 or 3
weeks after the last frost in spring. Corn requires 60 to 100 frost-free
days to reach harvest depending upon variety and the amount of
heat during the growing season. Corn grows best in air temperatures
from 60° to 95°F. Corn planted in cold, wet soil is unlikely to
germinate. Corn seed germinates in 10 to 14 days at 75°F, but the
rate of germination may reach only 75 percent. Start corn indoors 2
to 3 weeks before the last frost in spring for transplanting 2 to 3
weeks after the last frost. If your season is long enough, plant
successive crops every two to three weeks.

Planting and Spacing Corn. Sow corn 1 to 1½ inches deep. Plant

seeds 2 to 4 inches apart in short, side-by-side rows to form a block,
rather than one long row. You can also grow several plants on
mounds or inverted hills. Planting in a block or clump will help
ensure pollination. Thin plants from 12 to 18 inches apart for short
varieties and 18 to 24 inches apart for tall varieties once plants are 4
to 6 inches tall. Corn planted too closely will require more water and
fertilizer and may offer a smaller yield. For a continuous harvest,
succession plant corn every two weeks or plant early, midseason,
and late varieties at the same time.

More tips: Corn Seed Starting Tips.

Water and Feeding Corn. Keep corn evenly moist and regularly
watered. Corn grows fast in hot weather and requires an even
supply of moisture to avoid wilting. Avoid overhead watering
particularly when tassels appear; water hitting the tassels at the time
of pollination can reduce the number of kernels on a cob. Add aged
compost and aged manure to planting areas the autumn before
planting. Corn is a heavy nitrogen user. Side dress corn with aged
compost or compost tea when stalks are 10 inches tall and again
when they are 18 inches tall and a third time when they tassel.

More tips: How to Increase Your Corn Crop.

Companion plants. Potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins,

squash. Do not plant corn with berries or pole beans.

Corn Care. Weed corn early to avoid competition for water and
nutrients. Corn is shallow rooted so avoid deep cultivation. Crowding
stimulates lots of silage, but no cobs. To protect corn from birds
cover ears with paper bags after pollination. Poor kernel
development can be the result of poor pollination, too few plants
resulting in poor pollination, overcrowding, or a potassium deficiency
in the soil. If stalks are purple looking there is likely a phosphorus
deficiency.

Container Growing Corn. Corn can be grown in a large container

but is not a practical choice for container growing because
pollination requires several plants. Plant 5 or 6 seeds in a large five-
gallon container.

Corn Pests. Corn can be is attacked by cutworms, wireworms, flea

beetles, corn earworms, and corn borers. Look for pests and
handpick and destroy them. Corn earworms deposit eggs on
developing silks; later the small caterpillars will follow the silks down
into the ears, where they feed on the tips. Place a drop of mineral oil
inside the tip of each ear to coat and suffocate earworms. Corn
borers will tunnel into stalks and ears to begin feeding. Handpicking
is the best control. Keep the garden free of debris where earworms
and borers can live. Raccoons and many rodents will also attack
corn. Use traps or fences to exclude these pests.

Corn Diseases. Corn is susceptible to smut, a fungus disease, and

Stewart’s wilt, a bacterial disease. Corn smut will turn kernels gray
or black and cause kernels to swell. Destroy affected plants, and do
not replant in the same place for two years. Smut spores can survive
in the soil for two years.
Stewart’s wilt is a bacterial disease spread by flea beetles. Stewart’s
wilt will cause leaves to yellow and plants to become stunted. Plant
disease resistant varieties and control flea beetles by placing wood
ash or agricultural lime around plants.

More help with corn problems: Corn Growing Problems:

Troubleshooting.

Corn Harvest. Corn requires from 60 to 100 days to reach harvest

depending on the variety and warm weather. Corn is ready for
harvest when ears turn dark green, silks turn brown, and kernels are
soft and plump; squeeze a kernel and the juice will be milky not
clear. Pick corn by grabbing the ear and giving it a sharp downward
twist. Each stalk of corn will produces one or perhaps two
harvestable ears of corn. Harvest usually comes about 20 days after
the silks appear. Harvest corn in the morning and plunge ears
immediately into cold water to preserve sweetness.

Storing and Preserving Corn. Corn is best eaten fresh. Corn will
keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 day; wrap the unopened husk in
damp paper towels. Blanched corn on the cob can be frozen for 3 to
6 months.

More tips: How to Harvest and Store Corn.

SWEE T COR N V ARI E TI ES :

 Early season, yellow corn: Bodacious (75 days); Earlivee (69
days); Early Sunglow (63 days); IlliniChief (75 days); Sugar
Buns (72 days); Tuxedo (74 days).
 Mid season, yellow corn: Golden Bantam (83 days); Golden
Cross Bantam (90 days).
 Late season, yellow corn: Kandy Korn (89 days)
 Early season, white corn: Platinum Lady (85 days); Sugar
Snow (68 days)
 Mid season, white corn: Alpine (79 days); Argent (82 days);
Divinity (75 days); Pristine (79 days)
  Late season, white corn: How Sweet It Is (87 days); Silver
Queen (94 days); Stowell’s Evergreen (100 days)
 Early season, bi-colored corn: Athos (67 days); Double Gem
(75 days); Quickie (65 days); Skyline (73 days); Sugar and Gold
(67 days)
 Mid season, bi-colored corn: Butter and Sugar (73 days);
Clockwork (78 days); Honey and Cream (78 days);
 Late season, bi-colored corn: Pilot (90 days).
 Space saving varieties: Baby Corn (65 days); Golden Midget
(65 days).
More tips: Corn Varieties: Best Bets and Easy-to-Grow.

Common name. Corn, sweet corn

Botanical name. Zea mays

Origin. Central America