I debated whether to do this post on corn since this is my first year actually planting it and I have no experience whatsoever with growing and harvesting. But this is a place to live and learn together so I am simply sharing the information I have studied about planting corn and we can learn together in the process.
There are three different types of corn you can plant, depending on your needs. The most common is sweet corn, which is the milky sweet corn we all love to eat right off the cob. There is also dent/flour corn which you let dry on the stalk and then grind into cornmeal and flint corn, which you also let dry on the stalk and then use for popping corn. There is a really cute book called Corn by Gail Gibbons where she explains with pictures all about these different varieties of corn. In fact it was after reading this book that we decided to give corn a try in the garden this year.
Seed Starting and Propagation
- Corn must be started from seed, outdoors two weeks before the last frost date up to June.
- Plant them 4 per square foot or 12" apart, 1-4" deep, if summers are dry it is best to plant deeper. Corn will actually grow better if planted in the square foot method since the wind is the main pollinator.
- For a continuous harvest you can plant a new crop every two weeks.
- Plant in rich soil with added compost or manure.
- Be mindful of where you plant corn since it will get quite large and you don't want to shade other plants growing behind it.
Care
- Mulch right after planting to hold in moisture and prevent weeds from starting.
- Water weekly, more if the weather is hot and dry.
- Keep area clear of weeds.
Companion Planting
Harvesting and Preserving
- Check the ears daily when the silk starts to turn brown and they feel bumpy.
- Peel a small strip of husk to do a milk test, puncture a hole in one kernal with you fingernail and if it pops with milk, it is ready.
- Hold the stalk with one hand and use the other to pull down and break off the ear.
- For harvesting dent or flint corn, let the ears dry on the stalks and then rub the kernals off.
- Sweet corn can be cut off the cob and either bottled or frozen.
- Once completely dried, Dent and Flint corn should be stored in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry place.
Pests and Disease
From what I've read corn has more problems with pests than any other crop. A local farm plants rows of sunflowers throughout the farm to attract the birds and hopefully leave the corn alone, so I will be trying this method. Rotating crops will help prevent earworms and corn borers.
Corn Posts from Old World Garden Farms
Growing Popcorn
|
How to Preserve Sweet Corn
|
Growing & Harvesting Popcorn
|
Recipes
Harvest Tomato Dip/Salad
|
Confetti Quesadillas
|
Peanut Butter/Honey Popcorn Balls
|
Resources
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds goes out of their way to ensure their seeds are non-GMO, so I order all my corn seed from them. They also have a large variety to choose from and they are all of course, heirloom seeds.
  |
  |
  |
  |
Shared on: Tuesday Garden Party, The Art of Homemaking.
