Sweet Corn Basics

1. What is the best month to plant sweet corn?
2. How do you prepare sweet corn for soil?
3. How do you grow corn for beginners?
4. Does sweet corn come back every year?
5. What grows well with sweet corn?
6. What month does corn harvest?
7. Do I need to Detassel my sweet corn?
8. Should I soak corn before planting?
9. What is the best spacing for sweet corn?
10. Is it worth it to grow corn?
11. How deep should you plant corn?
12. How do you harvest sweet corn?

What is the best month to plant sweet corn?

Sow outdoors in late spring, in the ground or in pots. Make sure the soil temperature is above 10°C (50°F). As sweetcorn is wind pollinated, plants should be grown in blocks rather than rows, 45cm (18in) apart.

How do you prepare sweet corn for soil?

Soil Preparation

Sweet corn grows best in fertile, loamy, well-drained soil where plants will receive fill sunlight throughout the day. Well-rotted manure compost, green manure crops or similar materials will improve water holding capacity of the soil and is recommended for best crop production.

How do you grow corn for beginners?

For early plantings, sow seeds only 1 inch deep; in the hot weather of midsummer, plant them up to 2 inches deep. The average germination rate for sweet corn is about 75 percent, so plant three seeds together every 7 to 15 inches. They should germinate in 7 to 10 days. Thin to one plant every 15 inches.

Does sweet corn come back every year?

Sweet corn is an annual crop that produces ears of yellow, white, or bi-colored kernels. A long, frost-free growing season is necessary for growing corn.

What grows well with sweet corn?

Sprawling squashes make a great companion for sweet corn. The squash will carpet the ground and help suppress weeds as the sweetcorn grows skywards.

What month does corn harvest?

Typical corn harvest dates vary across the country based on a number of factors, however, the Corn Belt (the majority producer of our nation's corn), typically prepares to begin the fall harvest sometime in September.

Do I need to Detassel my sweet corn?

Most field corn doesn't need to be detasseled and the harvested corn will go to make corn meal, corn flour, corn syrup, ethanol and a myriad of other products. But you can easily recognize a seed corn field with three rows that look like the top has been chopped off and a fourth row standing tall.

Should I soak corn before planting?

Soak Corn Seeds

Sweet corn seeds can appear shrunken and shriveled; before they can germinate, they must slowly plump up with water. To help them along, soak dry seeds in water at room temperature overnight before planting.

What is the best spacing for sweet corn?

Rows should be spaced 2½ - 3 feet apart. Plants should be spaced 8-10 inches apart between plants. For early plantings, seeds should be no deeper than 1 inch. For later plantings, plant seeds 1-2 inches deep to ensure adequate moisture contact.

Is it worth it to grow corn?

A small area is best managed intensively for good yields. Salad crops, other vegetables, and root crops might be your best bets. I think it depends on how much you love corn, and how much you want to avoid the problems of store-bought corn. For me, it's totally worth it, even being a heavy feeder.

How deep should you plant corn?

Check planting depth when starting each field. In summary, corn should never be planted less than 1.5 inches deep, 1.75 to 2.25 inches is an ideal target, but depending on soil type and conditions, may be planted up to 3 inches deep without any effect on stand establishment. Have a safe and successful planting season.

How do you harvest sweet corn?

To harvest sweetcorn, peel back the outer leaves enclosing the cobs to reveal the kernels of the cob. Press one with your fingernail and if it produces a milky sap then the cobs are ripe and ready to harvest. If the kernels produce a watery liquid then the cobs are not yet ready.