Sweet corn is a warm-season annual. It is without doubt one of the most popular space garden crops and one of the crucial widely planted industry crops. Sweet corn is grown for its juicy, plump, sweet-flavored kernels. Corn can also be eaten steamed, boiled, or roasted.
Along side sweet corn, other types of corn include popcorn, flint corn, flour corn; flint corn is (Zea mays var. indurata; incessantly known as Indian corn or on occasion calico corn is used in ornamental decorations); flour corn (Zea mays var. amylacea) is somewhat numerous corn with a at ease starchy endosperm and a thin pericarp; Zea mays everta, is the only type of corn to in fact pop.
Sweet corn is a summer season crop. It is best planted in late spring after the soil temperature reaches 60°F (16°C), usually two or 3 weeks after the final frost in spring. Corn planted out of season in cold, wet soil isn’t more likely to germinate.
Here is the entire data to expanding sweet corn!
Sweet Corn Rapid Emerging Knowledge
- Corn grows best possible in air temperatures from 60° to 95°F (16-35°C).
- Corn calls for six to 8 hours of direct sun each day.
- Corn can take from 60 to 100 days to reach harvest depending upon variety and the amount of heat all over the expanding season.
- Corn is a tender annual and a member of the grass family that can increase from 4 to 12 ft (1.2-3.6m) tall.
- One to two ears of corn form on the side of each and every tall, green, grass-like stalk.
- Flowering tassels form at the best of each and every stalk; pollen falls from the tassels onto silky threads expanding from each and every ear underneath. Each silk is connected to an unfertilized kernel.
- Each ear of corn forms as many kernels for the reason that number of silks which were pollinated. (Tassels are the male crops of the corn plant. Kernels and ears are the female crops.)
- Kernels of sweet corn can also be yellow, white, black, pink, or a mixture of colors.
- A large corn variety would in all probability form one or two harvestable ears on each and every stalk.
- A dwarf variety would in all probability form two or 3 harvestable ears in step with stalk. When pollination does not occur the stalk will produce only a cob.
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Corn Yield. Plant 12 to 20 corn crops in step with circle of relatives member.
Where to Plant Sweet Corn
- Plant corn in entire sun.
- Corn grows best possible in loose, well-worked, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Regulate the soil pH if vital faster than planting.
- Add aged compost or aged manure to the best possible 8 to 10 inches of the planting bed faster than planting corn or add aged compost to the planting area inside the autumn faster than planting.
- Together with a lot of herbal subject to the planting area will make certain that superb drainage. Rich soil–that is soil rich in herbal subject–will even make certain that rapid expansion.
Sweet Corn Planting Time
- Corn is a tender, warm-season annual that is best possible planted after the soil temperature reaches 60°F (16°C), usually 2 or 3 weeks after the final frost in spring. Corn will germinate in soil as cool as 50°F alternatively germination will probably be at the back of agenda.
- Corn requires 60 to 100 frost-free days to reach harvest depending upon variety and the amount of heat all over the expanding season.
- Corn grows best possible in air temperatures from 60° to 95°F ((16-35°C).
- Corn seed germinates in 10 to 14 days at 75°F (24°C), alternatively the price of germination would in all probability reach most efficient 75 %.
- Corn planted in cold, wet soil isn’t more likely to germinate.
- Outdoor corn seed sowing can get started 3 weeks after the final frost in spring. Take a look at seed packet for the cold tolerance of the variety you want to increase.
- Get began corn indoors 2 to a couple of weeks faster than the final frost in spring for transplanting 2 to a couple of weeks after the final frost. If your season is long enough, plant successive crops every two to a couple of weeks. Place seed trays or pot on a seed starting heating mat and under a increase delicate.
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Planting and Spacing Sweet Corn
- Sow corn 1 to 1½ inches (2.5cm) deep. Sow pathogen-free seed.
- Plant seeds 2 to 4 inches (5-10cm) apart in brief, side-by-side rows to form a block, somewhat than one long row. A sq. block of crops with 10 or further crops in each and every row is best possible for to ensure pollination. A sq. block of corn crops is ceaselessly known as a corn patch.
- You are able to moreover increase a variety of crops on mounds or inverted hills.
- Planting in a block or clump will have the same opinion make certain that pollination.
- Thin crops from 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm) apart for short varieties and 18 to 24 inches (45-61cm) apart for tall varieties once crops are 4 to 6 inches (10-15cm) tall.
- Corn planted too sparsely will require further water and fertilizer and would in all probability offer a smaller yield.
- For a unbroken harvest, succession plant corn every two weeks or plant early, midseason, and late varieties at the identical time.
- Sweet corn seed is viable for 1 to a couple of years if stored in a dry, airtight container.
Further guidelines: Corn Seed Starting Pointers.
Watering Sweet Corn
- Keep corn calmly rainy and forever watered.
- One inch of water every week (6 gallons in step with sq. yard) in average summer season local weather; further in very talked-about local weather.
- Corn grows rapid in sizzling local weather and requires an even supply of moisture to keep away from wilting.
- Steer clear of overhead watering particularly when tassels appear; water hitting the tassels at the time of pollination can scale back the number of kernels on a cob.
- Water-stressed corn will produce ears with missing kernels.
- Use the finger test to know for many who will have to water: stick your index finger into the soil, if it comes away dry, it’s time to water.
Fertilizing Sweet Corn
- Add aged compost and aged manure to planting areas inside the autumn faster than planting.
- Corn is a heavy feeder; it needs a lot of nitrogen particular person.
- Facet dress corn with aged compost or compost tea when stalks are 10 inches tall and another time when they are 18 inches tall and a third time when they tassel.
- You are able to moreover side dress corn with nitrogen-rich blood meal, feather meal, aged chicken manure, alfalfa meal, or cottonseed meal.
- Add “green manure’ akin to clover or vetch into the crop rotation for areas where you propose to plant corn.
Further guidelines: Learn how to Build up Your Corn Crop.
Sweet Corn Partner Vegetation
- Very good companions for corn are potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash.
- Do not plant corn with berries or pole beans.
Sweet Corn Care
- Weed corn early to keep away from competition for water and nutrients. Corn is shallow rooted so keep away from deep cultivation.
- Crowding stimulates numerous silage, alternatively no cobs.
- To offer protection to corn from birds quilt ears with paper luggage after pollination.
- Poor kernel development can also be the result of poor pollination, too few crops resulting in poor pollination, overcrowding, or a potassium deficiency inside the soil.
- If stalks are pink having a look there could also be in all probability a phosphorus deficiency.
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Container Emerging Sweet Corn
- Corn can also be grown in a large container alternatively is not a smart variety for container expanding on account of pollination requires a variety of crops.
- Plant 5 – 6 seeds in a large five-gallon container.
Sweet Corn Pests
- Corn can also be is attacked by the use of cutworms, wireworms, flea beetles, corn earworms, and corn borers. Seek for pests and handpick and damage them.
- Corn earworms are moth larvae. Moth eggs hatch on developing silks; later the small caterpillars will follow the silks down into the ears, where they feed on the guidelines. Place a drop of mineral oil all through the top of each and every ear to coat and suffocate earworms.
- Corn stalk borers–Eu corn borers–are pink and white moth larvae that may tunnel into stalks and ears to begin out feeding. Handpicking is the best regulate. Keep the garden free of debris where borers and earworms can live. Use row covers to exclude beetles.
- Corn flea beetles are tiny black beetles an eighth of an inch long that transmit Stewart’s wilt; they chunk leaves. Use floating row covers to exclude corn flea beetles.
- Armyworms are striped moth larvae that feed on corn foliage, in particular in spring. Remove armyworm by the use of hand to spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), an herbal moth larvae regulate.
- Corn leaf aphids are blue-green sap-sucking insects that attack corn foliage. Aphids can disrupt pollination and stunt plant expansion; a sharp blast of water will knock them from crops; really helpful insects akin to girl beetles, green lacewings, and syrphid flies will eat aphids.
- Corn rootworms are cream-colored beetle larvae less than a component inch long; the adult beetles eat corn silks; select beetles off by the use of hand.
- Cutworms feed on roots and stems of corn seedlings; the ones pests live inside the soil on the subject of crops; overturn the soil to find them; use paper collars to offer protection to seedling stems from cutworms.
- Flea beetles are tiny black and bronze leaf beetles 3/8 inch long that may chunk on leaves; exclude flea beetles by the use of protecting more youthful crops with row covers.
- Eastern beetles are steel copper with green insects that may chunk corn silks; larvae are white grubs that increase to an inch long; regulate with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or by the use of hand deciding on.
- Seedcorn maggots are white fly larvae 1 / 4 inch long; they feed on seeds in particular in cooler, wet local weather. Turn the soil faster than planting to turn larvae to the cold.
- Slugs can defoliate more youthful crops; use an iron phosphate bait to kill the ones pests.
- Wireworms are click on on beetle larvae a few phase to a couple of inches long; turn the soil ahead of planting to turn the ones pest to killing cold temperatures.
- Raccoons and a variety of rodents will even attack corn. Use traps or fences to exclude the ones pests.
Sweet Corn Sicknesses
- Corn is susceptible to smut, a fungus sickness, and Stewart’s wilt, a bacterial sickness. Corn smut will turn kernels gray or black and goal kernels to swell. Break affected crops, and do not replant within the identical place for two years. Smut spores can survive inside the soil for two years.
- Stewart’s wilt is a bacterial sickness spread by the use of flea beetles. Stewart’s wilt will goal leaves to yellow and crops to transform stunted. Plant disease-resistant varieties and regulate flea beetles by the use of striking wooden ash or agricultural lime spherical crops.
- Corn may be susceptible to Anthracnose, rust, leaf spot, and leaf blight. Crop rotation is without doubt one of the most simple techniques to keep away from the spread of pathogen diseases; keep away from planting corn within the identical spot annually; a four-year crop rotation is best possible.
Further have the same opinion with corn problems: Corn Emerging Problems: Troubleshooting.
Sweet Corn Harvest
- Corn requires from 60 to 100 days to reach harvest depending on the variety and warmth local weather. A corn plant usually produces two ears in step with stalk; some varieties are higher yielding.
- Corn is able for harvest when yellow silks turn dark brown, and kernels are at ease and plump; squeeze a kernel along with your fingernail– if the juice is milky, not clear, the ear is able for opting for.
- Harvest usually comes about 20 days after the silks appear.
- Select corn by the use of grabbing the ear and giving it a sharp downward twist.
- Each stalk of corn will produce one or in all probability two harvestable ears of corn.
- Harvest corn inside the morning when the kernels are full of moisture and plunge ears instantly into cold water to take care of sweetness.
- Harvest flint corn merely faster than the principle frost.
- Harvest popcorn and flour corn when the kernels are exhausting and glossy.
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Storing and Protective Sweet Corn
- Corn is best possible eaten fresh.
- Keep sweet corn in their husks until able to cook dinner dinner.
- Corn will keep inside the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days; wrap the unopened husk in damp paper towels.
- Blanched corn on the cob can also be frozen for 3 to 6 months.
- Store flint corn, flour corn, and popcorn in a dry place. Peel once more the husk and hand the ears to allow kernels to dry further.
Further guidelines: Learn how to Harvest and Store Corn.
Sweet Corn Kitchen Use
- Sweet corn is served cooked each on or off the cob.
- Kernels can also be removed from the cob faster than or after cooking. Remove kernels with a sharp knife.
- Sweet corn can also be steamed, boiled, or roasted. Husks can keep on corn ears when they are roasted.
- Raw kernels can also be added to soups, mixed with vegetables, stews, and relishes.
- Cooked kernels can also be added to salads, omelets, pasta, risotto, salsa, soups or added to a vegetable medley.
- Uncooked kernels can also be frozen or canned.
- Flint corn (Zea mays var. indurata; incessantly known as Indian corn or on occasion calico corn) is used to make hominy.orn is used in ornamental decorations.
- Flour corn (Zea mays var. amylacea) is somewhat numerous corn with a at ease starchy endosperm and a thin pericarp used to make flour.
Sweet Corn Varieties
- Early season, yellow corn: ‘Bodacious’ (75 days); ‘Earlivee’ (69 days); ‘Early Sunglow’ (63 days); ‘IlliniChief’ (75 days); ‘Sugar Buns’ (72 days); ‘Tuxedo’ (74 days).
- Midseason, yellow corn: ‘Golden Bantam’ (83 days); ‘Golden Cross Bantam’ (90 days).
- Overdue season, yellow corn: ‘Kandy Korn’ (89 days)
- Early season, white corn: ‘Platinum Lady’ (85 days); ‘Sugar Snow’ (68 days)
- Midseason, white corn: ‘Alpine’ (79 days); ‘Argent’ (82 days); ‘Divinity’ (75 days); ‘Pristine’ (79 days)
- Overdue season, white corn: ‘How Sweet It Is’ (87 days); ‘Silver Queen’ (94 days); ‘Stowell’s Evergreen’ (100 days)
- Early season, bi-colored corn: ‘Athos’ (67 days); ‘Double Gem’ (75 days); ‘Quickie’ (65 days); ‘Skyline’ (73 days); ‘Sugar and Gold’ (67 days)
- Midseason, bi-colored corn: ‘Butter and Sugar’ (73 days); ‘Clockwork’ (78 days); ‘Honey and Cream’ (78 days);
- Overdue season, bi-colored corn: ‘Pilot’ (90 days).
- Space-saving varieties: ‘Baby Corn’ (65 days); ‘Golden Midget’ (65 days).
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Avalon’ bears clean white kernels on ears to 8 inches long; resistant to northern corn leaf blight, southern corn leaf blight, and southwestern corn leaf blight; matures in 82 days.
- ‘Big N’ Refined’ bears a mix of white and yellow kernels on ears to 8 inches long; resistant to northern corn leaf blight and Stewart’s wilt; mature in 79 days.
- ‘Cafe’ clean yellow kernels on ears to 8 inches long; fast-growing; a good choice for early planting in cool soil; resists Stewart’s wilt and rust; mature in 68 days.
- ‘Calico’ heirloom flint corn with yellow, brown, white, pink, pink, and blue kernels to 6 inches long; use as ornamental corn; matures in about 100 to 105 days.
- ‘Dakota Black’ open-pollinated variety with dark pink kernels on ears to 7 inches long; use as ornamental or for popping; matures in 95 days.
- ‘Jerry Peterson Blue’ open-pollinated flour corn; make blue flour; ears increase to 8 inches long; matures in 105 days.
- ‘Glass Gem’ open-pollinated flint corn; kernels are somewhat numerous colors on ears increase to 8 inches long; use as ornamental or for making cornmeal or popping; matures in 110 to 120 days.
- ‘My Fair Lady’ sweet corn with white and yellow kernels on ears that increase to 8 inches long; mature in 78 days.
- ‘Solstice’ bicolor sweet corn; resistant to northern corn leaf blight; matures in 68 days.
- ‘Sugar Buns’ sugar-enhanced sweet corn with creamy yellow kernels on ears to 7 inches long; resistant to northern corn leaf blight and Stewart’s wilt; 70 to 80 days to maturity.
Further guidelines: Corn Varieties: Easiest Bets and Easy-to-Increase.
Further About Corn
- Not unusual determine. Corn, sweet corn, maize
- Botanical determine. Zea mays subsp. mays (sweet corn)
- Family: Poaceae (grass family)
- Basis. Central The us
- Forms of corn: sweet corn, popcorn, flint corn, flour corn; flint corn is (Zea mays var. indurata; incessantly known as Indian corn or on occasion calico corn is used in ornamental decorations); flour corn (Zea mays var. amylacea) is somewhat numerous corn with a at ease starchy endosperm and a thin pericarp; Zea mays everta, is the only type of corn to in fact pop.
- Corn is basically essentially the most widely planted crop in the United States and a long way of the sector.
- Corn that is picked fresh when kernels are plump and juicy is a vegetable. Corn that is picked when kernels are exhausting and dry is thought of as a grain.
Further guidelines: Sweet Corn Emerging Pointers
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