Maximize Your Sweet Corn Harvest

Nothing beats fresh from the garden corn on the cob. But this is one vegetable that takes up a lot of space for a small harvest.  Each plant usually produces just one ear of corn.  A healthy pest free plant may produce two.  So get the most out of your harvest with proper planting and care.

Plant one of the newer cultivars that has sweeter longer-lasting flavor.  Then plant the corn in blocks.  This will improve the wind pollination and that means a bigger harvest. 

Plant the seeds in rows an inch deep and 9 to 12 inches apart.  You can maximize your planting with wide rows. Just leave 12 inches between plants and make sure you can reach all the plants within the wide row. Protect seeds from birds and speed germination by covering with floating row covers.

And before you know it you will be boiling that pot of water or stoking up the grill to cook your first ear of corn. 

A bit more information:  Poor germination or weak misshapen seedlings are usually the result of corn root maggot. Prevent the problem by planting at the proper time. Planting seed in cold wet soil slows germination and increases the risk of damage. Replant as needed.

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