How to Grow Corn In Your Garden -

Fresh sweet corn for grilling, roasting, or boiling is easy to grow in a home garden. Field corn, which has a less sweet flavor, is just as easy to grow and can be used just like sweet corn or for animal feed.

How to Grow Corn in Your Garden

Sweet or field corn, whether yellow, white, or a mixture of both colors, is easy to grow with these growing tips.

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Location and Soil Preparation

Select a location that is in full sun and then begin to prepare the soil. Corn is a heavy feeder, and garden soil has to be prepared by amending it with organic material before planting seeds.

Compost, well-rotted animal manure, ground limestone, and possibly potash should be worked into soil before planting corn. If you need to do a soil analysis, call your local NRSC office or do your own test with a soil test kit.

Ideally, garden soil preparation for growing a corn crop will start in advance by tilling the soil and growing a winter cover crop.

If you have not had time to grow a cover crop, then consider a good all-purpose organic fertilizer.

If soil is prepared in the spring, allow it to rest for 2 weeks before planting corn.

Planting Corn

Corn seeds need warm soil and air temperatures to germinate. Seeds will rot if the soil is cold, so don’t be in a hurry to plant corn in the spring.

Wait until air temperature is above 60 degrees for 3 consecutive days and all danger of frost has passed.

Prepare your rows so they are 30 to 36 inches apart. Plant corn 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in prepared soil. Cover with dirt and tamp into place to set seeds.

If you are planting in the circle method, plant corn seeds in a circle 12 to 16 inches in diameter. Plant 5 to 8 seeds evenly on the outer edge of the circle.

Cover with dirt and tamp into place to set seeds.

Field corn, which grows bigger stalks and larger ears of corn, will need to be planted 1 foot apart.

Each stalk of corn will produce 1-2 ears, and all the ears will ripen at the same time.

To harvest fresh ears of corn for several weeks during the summer, use succession planting. Plant corn seeds every 2 weeks for a continual harvest.

Companion Planting or Mulching

Corn has very shallow roots and will need to have other garden plants growing at the stalk base to protect the soil surface, or the corn stalks will need to be heavily mulched.

An ideal companion planting method that has been used for centuries is known as ‘The Three Sisters and consists of corn, squash, and green beans growing together for mutual benefit.

If you choose to plant the Three Sisters method, allow 2 feet of space between them and allow the corn to reach 6 inches tall before planting the green beans and squash.

If you don’t use the Three Sisters method, apply 4 inches of mulch around corn stalks when they are 6 inches tall.

It’s a Wrap

Sweet corn is a fun crop to grow. The stalks are tall, it grows quickly, and fresh sweet corn tastes great!

There are many types of corn to choose from, so you will find the right ones for your garden project!

How to Grow Corn In Your Garden