Growing Sweet corn, also corn,maize

Zea mays, var. rugosa : Poaceae / the grass family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P P            

(Best months for growing Sweet corn in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 11-14 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): All beans, cucumber, melons, peas, pumpkin, squash, amaranth
  • Avoid growing close to: Celery.

Your comments and tips

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17 Aug 13, Ferran (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
my sweet corn last year had a mixture of 1-3 cobs per plant. its normal having more than 1 cob per plant but i found that they did not produce as much as one cob per plant and snaped of the smaller ones so as to get a better havest. I found that it had to do with how close they were together. my veriety worked best with 16 stalks per meatre square. bit late and i hope your havest went well. As for the reason, just like when you grow pumpcin you can have several friuts on a vine or one the plant puts its energy equally in to however many friuts there are. when there is only one it gets much bigger than when there are multipual pumpcins however you get more pumpcins if you let them grow multipual ones per vine. some verietys just natraly have more or less friuts per vine and you as the gardener get to chose how many the plant grows or how big they can get.
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15 Jan 13, Patrick (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
What should be done with laterals on the main stalk? Will I leave them on to allow additional corn to grow on them or does leaving them on the main stalk deprive the main stalk from food?
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14 Jan 13, Jason (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all. Just wondering if mid-January is too late to plant corn in Sydney?
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13 Jan 13, Banda (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
i have a plot almost 10 hecters,im also keeping chicken,can i plant some maize and soya beans now for the feed?,thanks.
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06 Jan 13, (Australia - temperate climate)
How do tell corn is ready to pick
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10 Jan 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It's usually ready when the tassles/threads are drying up or black/brown. You can peel back the leaves around the top of the cob before picking to check if it is ripe and fold them back to keep growing if it isn't ready.
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05 Jan 13, Hilda (Australia - arid climate)
how many cobs of corn can you expect to harvest from each plant
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10 Jan 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It depends on the variety. Most seem to produce two or three, but I've seen some varieties with four or five.
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31 Dec 12, lawrence (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
once the corn has been picked do you cut off the stalks and it regrows or do you pill it out and plant again
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31 Dec 12, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Corn doesn't regrow. I cut it off low leaving the roots to rot, and plant some beans around the stumps to boost the soil fertility.
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Showing 301 - 310 of 432 comments
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Perth: This impressive crop does take up a bit of room but it's well worth it; the sweetness of fresh picked home-grown sweet corn is hard to beat. Plant from September through to January. Preparing the site Choose a sunny site that’s protected from strong winds. Sweet corn is a hungry crop so it’s important to enrich your soil before planting. Add a plenty of aged manure and a handful of blood & bone per square metre and fork it in well. Sweet corn will do well in a bed that’s previously grown healthy peas or beans. In the right conditions, each plant will usually produce 2 ears of corn. Planting Plant seedlings or seeds (ensure seeds are fresh). Space 30cm apart and plant in blocks rather than a single long row. Planting in blocks assists pollination which is essential for the development of kernels. Plant early and late varieties in separate blocks for a longer season. Water seeds well after planting then sparingly until germination occurs as the seeds can rot easily. When the stalks are about 20cm high, mound the soil up against the stalks. This process, called hilling, encourages more roots to grow which will help stabilise the plant during windy conditions. You can also achieve the same result by planting the seeds in a furrow and backfilling as the plants grow. Watering and fertilising Once the plants are well underway it’s important to ensure an adequate moisture level, especially since the plants will be at their peak of fruit production over the hot months. Drip irrigate if possible and mulch well to retain moisture. As soon as the tassel appears at the top of the plant, give the soil a boost with a granular fertiliser that’s high in nitrogen. Insufficient pollination results in ears of corn with lots of missing kernels. Planting sweet corn in one long single row can result in most of the pollen being blown away, which is why gardeners plant corn in blocks instead.Can be hand pollinated by cutting off a pollen-laden tassel each day and gently brushing over the silks . Sweet corn is ready to pick 2-3 weeks after pollination and it's important to keep up the water during this time.

- Mike

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