Melinda Myers

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