This guide outlines how to sow corn correctly, and how to care for it afterwards for the best results.
Do you want to grow corn in your own garden? We’ll tell you what you need to consider when sowing corn and give practical tips for growing it.
While the corn fields in rural areas are feed corn for livestock, sweet corn tastes sweeter and is intended for human consumption. Corn is a grass and is pollinated by the wind. Many varieties of corn grow up to 6 feet (2 meters) high and also look decorative in the garden.
Corn sown in the garden has nothing to do with the feed corn in the fields. It is a different variety – sweet corn. The corn on the cob is ideal for cooking, eaten out of hand with salted butter, grilled or the kernels from the cooked corn cob are eaten with cucumbers and peppers as a salad. By the way, for popcorn you need special types, namely water-rich popcorn types.
ALSO READ: How to cook corn on the cob in the mocrowave, on stove or grill
How to sow corn in the garden
Quick guide summary
- Depending on the weather and region, corn, or more precisely sweet corn, is sown directly into the bed from mid-April to mid-May.
- In smaller gardens, sowing in blocks with a grid of 18 inches (45 centimeters) has proven successful.
- In larger gardens, sow corn in seed rows 24 inches (60 centimeters) apart and 6 inches (15 centimeters) apart in the row.
- Sow 1 inch (2-3 centimeters) deep and then separate the corn after germination to 12 to 18 inches (30 to 40 centimeters).
When can you sow corn?
Depending on the weather and region, sow the corn or sweet corn from mid-April to mid-May. As with sowing beans, the soil temperature for corn should also be constant at more than 12 to 15 degrees Celsius. Let the seeds soak in water overnight and they will germinate after just over a week.
How to sow corn: Location and soil
The heat-loving plant prefers to grow on loose, humus-rich soils with good nutrient and water storage capacity. However, cold, wet soils with retained moisture are not suitable for growing corn.
Sow the corn about 1 inch (2 to 3cm) deep, in blocks or rows. If you only want to grow a few plants, sow corn in blocks, i.e. in grids about 18 inches (45 cm) apart. Block planting makes pollination easier.
Corn plants are pollinated solely by the wind, so it is advisable to plant at least 16 plants (of the same variety) or to help with pollination by shaking the flowers.
In larger gardens, sow corn in rows 24 inches (60 centimeters) apart. The individual seeds are a good 6 inches (15 centimeters) apart within the row. After germination, separate the plants to around 12-18 inches (30-40) centimeters. Depending on the variety, you can harvest the corn cobs from July to September.
When choosing a location to sow corn, keep in mind that corn grows tall and can therefore undesirably shade neighboring rows.
Corn sowing square blocks
Corn is pollinated by wind. That’s why sowing in squares with an even grid and short rows instead of sowing in long rows has proven successful in the garden. The grid, i.e. the row or plant spacing, is 18 inches (40 centimeters). You also separate the seedlings at this distance. The plants should be of the same variety so that pollination works reliably.
What should you consider when sowing corn in the garden?
Sweetcorn is quite hungry. Amend the soil for the plants with a scoop of mature compost and a handful of horn meal per square meter. Remember that most varieties of corn grow tall and shade neighboring beds. It’s best to sow it on the north side of the vegetable garden so that it doesn’t look like a parasol. A sunny location is ideal.
In cooler regions, you can grow the grains indoors in small pots from mid-April and plant the frost-sensitive, young corn plants in the garden in mid-May. Direct sowing into the bed from mid-April is possible if you then cover the rows with foil.
How to care for corn after sowing?
The most important care measure after sowing is clearly weeding the corn in order to keep competition away from the seedlings. If you want to avoid this, you should mulch the bed, for example with dried grass clippings.
Simply spread a thin layer of this around the plants. As soon as the corn is about knee high, fertilizer is applied. This usually happens around mid-July. Sprinkle some horn meal on the ground in the root area of the plants.
Corn is one of the drought-tolerant plants. However, if you water in a timely manner, especially in the summer months when it is dry, you can look forward to a better harvest.
In summary
- Sowing depth: 1 in (2-3 cm)
- Planting distance: 18 in (45 cm) for block sowing
- Good neighbors: beans, peas, pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers, potatoes, melon, lettuce, tomatoes
- Bad neighbors: celery, beetroot
- Preferably: end of March
- Planting out in the bed: mid/end of May
- Direct sowing from: mid-April to mid-May
- Germination time: 08-10 days
- Cultivation period/readiness for harvest: July to September
