How To Grow Corn That Is Finger-Licking Good

Corn is truly a product of Americans and with good reason. Everybody loves their corn, and with such a great tasting crop it makes perfect sense. North Americans have been growing corn for thousands of years. Corn can take up quite a large portion of your garden.

Despite the extra-large space requirement needed for corn, most gardeners, including myself, find a way to incorporate some corn into their gardens. Sweet corn is highly popular all across North America. A fresh picked ear of sweet corn buttered to perfection is some of the best eats I have ever had.

Sugar within kernels from fresh picked sweet corn begins to turn to starch almost instantly. A select group of plant breeders have actually been able to develop corn that retains it sugary content for days. If you prefer corn that is sweet, you will want to choose seeds that spawn sweet corn such as those with the abbreviation SH2.

Choose varieties of corn seed that have the abbreviation SU if you want corn that has that authentic corn flavor. Feel free to check with local corn growers in your area if you want to find out which corn seed varieties have a great record.Some people like to grow ornamental and popcorn corn. These two varieties have care and planting needs that are very similar to sweet corn.

Let’s get down to planting shall we?

• Keep in mind that corn is always very susceptible when it comes to frosts. Planting a crop of corn too early can cause all of the crop to die. Keep in mind that corn does not transplant very well.
• Planting in a short-season type of area? If you are, you will want to use biodegradable pots if starting the corn indoors. This will cause the least disturbance to the roots when it comes time to transplant them.
• Try to wait until the danger for frost is completely gone, with soil temperatures in excess of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The 60 degree soil temperature is needed so the seeds can germinate.
• If the weather is particularly cool, make sure to use black plastic over the area that you are using to plant the corn. This will help to warm all of the soil much more quickly.
• Want corn just so you can eat it fresh? Plant at least 10 up to 15 plants for each person that will be eating the corn.
• If you would like to extend your harvest make sure to sow a type that is early maturing about once for every 2 weeks, for a total of 6 weeks.
• Avoid cross-pollination by keeping different types of corn cultivars at least 400 yards apart from each other. You can even plant them ensuring that they tassel 2 weeks apart as well to avoid cross-pollination.
• Place your corn patch in an area that gets lots of sun, which is also somewhat protected from strong winds. Corn is what is called a heavy feeder, especially when it comes to nitrogen, which is why it thrives in areas with crops that enrich the soil, such as hairy vetch, beans, and clover that has been grow the season before. You can add compost if you want as well, but you will need about 30 pounds of compost for every 100 square feet before planting.
• Planting your corn in blocks as opposed to individual rows will help promote full pollination. Try to make each block three rows wide. Planting only 1 or 2 rows, if so, hand pollinate the crop which will improve overall kernel formation.
• For all early planting you should sow the seeds 1 inch deep and no more. If planting in midsummer during hot weather, you should plant up to 2 inches deep. Germination for sweet corn is approximately 75 percent, so you can plant 3 seeds together about every 8 to 15 inches. Seeds will germinate within seven to ten days.
• Try to thin to one plant about every 15 inches or so.
  

  Fresh Corn

• Try your best to avoid disturbing any remaining plants, and remove seedlings that are unwanted simply by cutting away at them at about soul level.

Guidelines for Growing-

1)      Corn is a crop that cannot compete against weeds. This is why you need to cultivate very thoroughly all around the corn stalks during the very first month of their growth. After which, shallow corn roots spread as far as one foot away from the corn stalk. Try your best not to disturb the roots, since it is incredibly easy to cause damage to them.

2)      Apply mulch to prevent all of the weeds nearby from sprouting.

3)      Water corn with 1 inch worth of water per week.

4)      Try to water corn the most when stalks are starting to tassel.

5)      Never skip watering otherwise you could wind up with ears of corn that are missing a large amount of kernels.

6)      Use drip irrigation or a soaker hose to feed your corn at the surface of the soil.

7)      Try not to spray your plants from way above the plant; this can remove much-needed pollen from the flowering tops.

8.)      Once stalks are around six inches tall, try to side-dress the stalks using blood meal. Repeat the feeding once they are about 15 inches tall.

9)      Do not remove suckers or side shoots since they do not harm the overall production, and cutting them away could easily damage the roots.

Potential Problems to Deal With-

Earworms are very popular pests that will attack your corn. Central and southern states are where these worms are most dominant. If you want to stop earworm problems, use a spray bottle or an eyedropper to insert a special mixture containing water, bacillus thuringiensis, vegetable oil, and just a couple of drops of your common dishwashing fluid directly to the tip of all of the ears a few days after the silks have emerged.