Corn
- Botanical Name
- Zea mays
- Hardiness
- Tender annual
- Height
- 4 to 6 feet
- Width
- 1 to 1.5 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained, rich in organic matter
- Planting & Care
- Corn requires warm soils temperatures between 65°F and 85°F to germinate
- Supersweet varieties also need more soil moisture for germination
- Once all danger of frost has passed, sow seed 1/2 inch deep in cooler soils and 1 to 11/2 inch deep in warmer soil. Space kernels 4 to 6 inches apart in rows spaced 30 to 36 inches apart
- Thin plants to 8 to 12 inch spacing when plants reach 3 to 4 inches in height
- Plant in blocks at least 4 rows wide. Numerous short rows in a planting are better than fewer, long rows. This is vital to discourage cross pollination between varieties which could result in a poor quality harvest.
- Arrange or isolate varieties in the garden to lessen the possibility of cross pollination
- Plan for a continual harvest by first planting an early variety, follow that 2 weeks later with a sowing of an early variety and blocks of mid and late season varieties
- Planting can be done as late as the first week of July
- Supersweet varieties should be isolated from other varieties maturing at the same time to ensure the best quality crop
- Corn can be interplanted with early-harvested cool-season crops to save space in the garden
- Corn is shallow rooted, so be careful not to disturb the roots with cultivation
- Mulch soil around plants to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture
- A side dressing of a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer may be necessary during the growing season for this heavy feeder
- Problems
- Rust, corn rootworm, seedcorn maggots, smut, European corn borers
- Varieties
- Dazzle - bicolor, supersweet variety, good disease resistance
- Quickie - 64 days to harvest
- Iochief - midseason
- How Sweet It Is - All-America Selections winner
- Honey 'N Pearl - bicolor, AAS Winner
- Sweet American Dream - excellent germination, super sweet, bicolor kernels, 6-7' tall plants, AAS winner
- Sweet Honey Select - does not require isolation from other corn pollen, super sweet kernels on 8" ears, AAS winner
- Sweet Indian Summer - super sweet yellow, white, red or purple kernels, colors intensify with cooking, AAS winner
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