How To Plant Corn | Zea mays subsp. Mays
Corn is a staple in many cultures and societies. Whether you are baking something, creating a high fiber side dish for your dinner, snacking, crafting, or going to the movies, corn is there. Originating from Mexico about 6,000 years ago, this vegetable is believed to come from a weed in the grass family called teosinte. Today they are really close in character, but only corn makes the “cob” ears with kernels attached. Teosinte makes their seeds like wheat or rice plants do and do not produce the “cobs.”
Corn Plant Varieties
There are thousands of different varieties of corn out in our world today. But if you want to be able to grow your own for shucking and cooking, there are three sweet eating types. Although the gardens climate, soil, and air temperature is linked to its’ overall flavor. The three types are:
- Standard Corn – This is the typical corn we think off. Yellow ears about 8-12 inches long with green husks. This corn can be planted when the temperature is over 55 ° degrees.
- Sugary Enhanced Corn – This hybrid variety, as you probably guess, derived it’s name because it tastes sweet. Growing this variety gives the farmer a few more days when it is time to eat after the harvest. This variety can be harvested up to 5 days before the home farmer intends to eat it. This type of corn needs to planted when the temperature is over 65 ° degrees.
- Super Sweet Corn – This hybrid variety, is the sweetest tasting types of corn there are. They are harvested the same as sugary enhanced corn but take a little more skill to grow than it’s counterpart.
Lesser Grown Varieties
There also many other types and varieties of corn in our world today: Baby corn varieties, popcorn varieties, and ornamental corn varieties. All of which are designed and good to use, but have more specific purposes. You would not want to have an ear from a popcorn varieties to eat off the cob. It does not taste good even with butter, and it is too hard. But you could pop the standard variety or one of the sugar varieties and that will taste fresh and delicious.
Some hybrid shorter varieties do well planted closer together, but the sweeter types will do best planted shallower. So always read the seed packet for each variety. As a general rule, as the weather becomes warmer, the plant will require more water. As the season advances, your stacks might produce “suckers.” They form out of the base of the stalk, and they should be removed when noticed. They are not the cob ears and could cause a negative impact to your harvest.
How To Grow Corn
Growing conditions
Corn harvested directly from your garden is the best corn you will ever taste. Air-temperature, soil, and climate will also effect the taste of your harvest. Corn plants will thrive best in warmer temperatures, sowed in rich soil with a regular and even watering cycle. Remember, the sweeter the corn is, the more water the plant will require, and the warmer the soil temperatures should be. All varieties loved the full sun, does well protecting smaller plants from all-day full sun.
The roots produced from the corn plant tend to run shallow. This is very important to remember when pulling up surrounding weeds or digging around your plant. One way to combat the weeds and keep the soil moist for the summer months is to use mulch. Mulching your garden is highly recommended and your plants will appreciate it with healthier harvests. I recommend fertilizing your garden. Corn thrives in nitrogen rich fertilizer, which can be purchased on-line or at your local hardware department store.
Growing Corn From Seeds
Growing corn from seed is the recommended way to start your plants. You can buy baby corn plants 6 inches tall, but they do not transplant very well, since their root structure is already shallow. Make the rows for the crop over 24 inches apart from each other. This will insure each plant can grow to its’ full potential. Plant 1 or 2 corn kernels 1-2 inches deep in the soil, and over 8 inches apart down the rows. If you decide to sow 2 seeds instead of one, the weaker one should be plucked out so the strongest one stays. This is called “thinning,” and I know it sounds kinda harsh, but that is life.
Fertilize your soil or have rich organic soil from compost for your plant garden. Your plant will do very well in homemade compost, but a nitrogen rich fertilizer is a close second. Sow your seeds when the soil temperature is above 65 degrees for best seed propagation, after the last frost of the season melts.
How To Harvest Corn
It is time to begin harvesting your crops about 3 weeks after the silk became visible from the top of the ear, and it turned brown. Once the silk turns brown, it is ready to pick. If you want to make sure before you harvest the timing is okay, you can check by husking the tip top of the ear. Take a kernel from the top. It should be milky and firm. If all that checks off, the ear is good to be removed.
Harvest the ear by grabbing the ear in one hand, and the stalk in the other. Bend the ear down in the opposite direction it is growing. Use a twisting motion and rotate as you pull down. If it does not snap off, you can cut it with gardening shears.
The ears will last 1-5 days after harvest. It you cannot keep up with the amount of harvest you are acquiring, you can store ears by freezing them. Just husk the cob, and place them in a ziplock or air-tight bag, and they will be good for a couple weeks. For absolute best quality, pick before you cook and eat. Once you have collected your harvest for the season pull up the plants and toss them.
Pests and Disease
Check daily for disease and pests. Some pests you could run into are:
- Cutworms
- Earwigs
- Corn Root Worm
- Beetles
- Rabbits
- Birds (i.e. crows)
If any ears get infected with disease or pests, it is best to cut that ear off and throw it away. Earwigs, beetles and corn root worm are pests that like to feed on the silk parts of the plant, which prevents pollination or poor seed (kernel) development. Each silk string is attached to a kernel. If the silk is not pollinated, the kernel will not be pollinated and will not grow. Try to find organic solutions for your crops. Garlic, vinegar, and hot pepper are good at deterring some of these pest. Spray some at the pests when you see them, and they will not colonize there. Pollen comes from the top part of the plant, and it sheds 2 to 3 weeks before harvest time. It is good practice to fertilize before this process starts to give the plant as much strength as possible.