Plant Care and Gardening Tips

Gardening advice and plant care notes

February 20, 2010 · Corn / Cucumbers / Garden Review / VEGETABLES

Planting Sweet Corn

How to sucessfully plant and grow sweet corn?

Depending on the cultivar, sweet corn needs 60-100 warm days to grow and requires 8 to 10 hours of full sun, good drainage and lots of room.

Planting corn
Once the soil warms up, plant seeds 1-2 inches deep, in groups or hills with 3-4 seeds in them. Space the hills about 1 1/2 ft apart. Seeds may also be sown in single rows of 9 inches apart, spacing 2 to 3 feet between rows, with a minimum of 4 rows to assure cross pollination. Corn is a heavy feeder and needs ample nutrients to produce, therefore, before planting, apply 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 1/2 pounds per 100 square feet to the soil. When the corn gets about 1 1/2 feet tall, again side-dress with 10-10-10. When the plants start tasseling and silking, make sure it gets at least one inch of water per week. Do not allow wilting at this time as it will affect pollination and kernel development.

Harvesting corn
Harvest when silks begin to turn brown and dry. Fresh and tender corn kernels will exude a milky liquid when split open. This occurs about 20 days after the first silk strands appear. Each cornstalk should produce one to two ears.  Pick before the racoons and grackles find out that your corn is ready. They find it irresistible and so will you! The ears should be eaten as soon as possible, or refrigerated for a few days. Once picked, the sugars decrease rapidly and starch content increases. For best flavor, have a pot of boiling water ready and then pick your corn.  Sweet corn is well worth the effort once you taste the fresh picked ears.

From the reader archive

Useful reader questions

Fertilizing the garden This is my first time trying corn and I only planted 3 transplants I purchased at the farmer’s market. One died but the two left are still growing. I’m glad I found this because I was watering them every…

Read Gerri discussion

my father was a tobacco farmer and a good one..i was raised on a small twenty 26 acres tobacco farm , and my father and mother was such good people both hard working and they raised nine of us kids by the…

Read stanley mcqueen discussion

is there anything special about growing Indian corn in relation to sweet corn? i have tried growing Indian corn for the last 3 years and i have yet to get a full ear of kernels. (this year i did not even get…

Read Lilleah West discussion

Looks like there’s a lot of good advice on this site- I planted sweet corn this year in my garden in Northern Indiana and we had a couple of HUGE windstorms early this summer that blew the 1-2 ft stalks flat on…

Read Jenny discussion

32 Comments

  1. Kris - March 23, 2005 at 8:39 am

    I am growing okra for the first time and would like get some information on it. Thank-you
    Bill Andrews

    Okra is a warm season crop-needs full sun and soil temps of above 65 degrees. It grows well in most types of soil with a ph of 6.0-6.8. This tall, leafy plant is a heavy feeder and requires fertile soil or additional nutrients added during the growing season. Fertilize every 4 wks with a 15-10-10 fertilizer. It needs 1 inch of water per week until productions slows down. You may also need to stake it for support. Not too many problems -aphids and powdery mildew. Harvest when pods are 3 inches and tender. If your thumbnail cannot pierce the pod then the okra is overripe. Overripe pods can be allowed to dry and used in dry flower arrangements.

    Reply
  2. Chuck - June 9, 2005 at 3:21 pm

    I live in Oklahoma, my corn is tassling at about two feet high, is this normal, If not what can I do about it. Chuck

    The height of your corn may be weather related. It is not normal and there is nothing at this point that you can do about it. Either too much water or not enough causes stress on the plant. At this stage, keep it well watered(about 1 inch per wk) since polination and kernel development is taking place. The university extension office informed me that if you are growing an early variety corn, it will produce a shorter stalk . Dry weather will stress the plant and produce a smaller ear that is closer to the ground. Kris

    Reply
  3. Ron - July 8, 2005 at 9:11 am

    Quick question. I have a number of horse farms around me, but not very many cattle farms. Just wondering if horse manure and cow manure are equally effective for fertilzing a vegetable garden. Thanks, Ron

    Although manures are generally low in fertilizer they do improve soil structure when added in large amounts. Be sure that it is not fresh manure as it can burn and damage plant roots. Use well-rotted or composed manure. Here is the analysis of horse manure N 0.6 P 0.3 K 0.6 and for cow manure N 0.5 P 0.3 K 0.5 . I looks like horse manure has a little more nutrients than cow manure.

    Reply
  4. v martin - July 12, 2005 at 11:35 am

    how soon should you refrigerate sweet corn after picking

    There are two ways of picking corn. 1. Have a pot of boiling water ready-pick the ear and put it in the boiling water for a few minutes and you will enjoy the best flavor your corn can produce. 2. If you are not ready to eat the corn- pick it and refrigerate as soon as possible. The moment you pick the corn, the sugar decreases and starch increases.

    Reply
  5. Don Woods - July 25, 2005 at 6:57 am

    can you provide any help in preventing my sweet corn from blowing down? I live in oklahoma and plant my corn seed according to the instructions.

    For sturdy corn, plant your seeds 10 inches apart in a furrow or trench and then hill soil up the plant, so that they can support themselves. Try hilling up some soil around the stalk to add support.

    Reply
  6. Lolly - August 27, 2005 at 2:21 pm

    Have you done ‘three sisters’ with your corn? Would the pole beans fix enough nitrogen so that no additional fertilzer would be required? Do you think the squash is necessary, or just taking advantage of space?

    Three sisters – haven’t done that but they are an excellent companion trio to try in the garden. The squash leaves provide shade for the corn and reduce weeds and the prickly vines discourage racoons. The corn in return provides shade for the squash on hot summer days and a great support for both squash and pole beans to clilmb up on. The pole beans return the favor and feed the corn with extra nitrogen. It’s a win win all the way.

    Reply
  7. Lilleah West - November 14, 2005 at 10:58 am

    is there anything special about growing Indian corn in relation to sweet corn? i have tried growing Indian corn for the last 3 years and i have yet to get a full ear of kernels. (this year i did not even get any that produced half an ear of kernels) i also woundered if both indian corn and sweet corn could be grown in the same area, would cross polination make the sweet corn unediable? i have searched the net and have found no information about growing indian corn so i hoped you could help.

    There is no special way to grow Indian corn. If you can grow sweet corn you should have the same luck with Indian corn. Perhaps you didn’t plant enough for it to cross pollinate resulting in a half ear of kernels. If both sweet and Indian corn cross pollinate there would be some quality issues but not inedible. Plant one variety 2 wks after the other to keep them from cross pollinating.

    Reply
  8. Fred - April 12, 2006 at 2:22 pm

    Can you plant Corn and watermelon togther? I currently have a couple of plants that came that way, would I have to seperate them, or will one overtake and kill the other?

    It should be alright as long as the corn gets a head start upward so the watermelon doesn’t shade it. Some gardeners combine corn and beans together allowing the beans to grow up the stalk using it for support.

    Reply
  9. Carl Gilland - June 4, 2006 at 1:38 pm

    My sweetcorn is about a foot high and is growing suckers at tthe base of the stalk .Should they be removed or left to grow. Carl.

    According to the extension information some sweet corn varieties produce more side shoots “suckers” than others, removing them will not improve the yield.

    Reply
  10. Fred Wilt - June 25, 2006 at 4:58 pm

    I have tiny ants all over my sweet corn tassels, it is silking now the stalks are about 6 ft high and doing nicely here in so Ca. Im thinking there are aphids and the ants are after the secretions from the aphids, what can i spray with to get rid of both? Is Garlic Barrier a good choice?

    A strong stream of water will knock out the aphids or try insecticidal soap or neem. I’m not familiar with garlic barrier.

    Reply
  11. willmon edwards - June 10, 2007 at 11:06 am

    HI, I would like to know which comes first the Silk or Tassels. this year my tassels came first, and then the silk, the ears were half and small is this normal,. please help

    Usually, the tassel and silk come out simultaneously to pollinate but if one of the two would emerge first, it would be the tassle. Temperature and moisture stress can slow the silking process increasing the amount of time needed for pollination. Sometimes, the pollen from the tassels may shed before the silks emerge causing a reduction in quality and yield. The ideal growing temperature for corn is 72-75F . Hot, dry conditons during pollination will develop small ears, missing kernels, and poor development.

    Reply
  12. stanley mcqueen - January 12, 2008 at 9:45 am

    growing a good field of sweet corn is and art form it tastes so good for dinner and corn on the cob is so good, and it worth the work and trouble and gives much satifaction when you finely get it on the eating table

    Reply
  13. stanley mcqueen - January 12, 2008 at 9:56 am

    I have had a garden now for at least 35 years , and to me growing a good sweet corn is something that depends on the weather and the rain durning the seasons. it seem that working and plowing the corn after it come up help to make it grow better, try this when your sweet corn is about eight to six inches tall, get some ammonia , and sprinkle along side the corn row above the corn being careful not to get any ammomia on the young corn , after that go get your tiller plow and plow threw the rows that you have applied the ammonia, this works in the ammonia and then just set back and watch your young corn take heart and grow with that ammonia giving it that green lush healthy look, ammonia works for 90 days and it make the corn sweet and gives it that extra boost, try this this year and see if you dont have the best sweet corn on the bllock, note just put the ammonia about 6 inches above the plant and just don’t use so awful much it dont take a lot of ammonia to get corn off the growning into a beatiful patch of good old sweet corn….email me if you have futhers questions…mcqueen@mail.com

    Reply
  14. stanley mcqueen - January 12, 2008 at 10:17 am

    one things i want to mention about growning gardens, useing a good tiller plow is the key to making a good garden, if your are lazy and don’t like a little work and dirt on you hands gardening is not for you..but those people with a little grit and has little willie will power as a first cousin to them , will not find a little work any problem, my dear pappy also said that lazy people grow weak crops .. and to note its’ the plain truth…i would suggest when you put out your garden this year fist off ask the good lord to help you grow it and bless the seeds that you plant.. lord help some of us who are not worthly to get blessed anyhow . and sometime we used the good lord like a spare tire, and lord forgive us all for that and help us plow our corn with your grace in our stepts. plowing and keeping the weeds out of our gardens is a sure way to raise a good garden..but as for me and old mountain plow boy God has help me with my crops all the while and you know what more that i would want to mention sometimes i never even look toward heaven to give my God thanks… lord help us all to believe and trust you even with our toils and labor in growing a graden. and remind us lord to look up at the end of the harvest and give you and earnest thanks for giving us rain and good growning season. if you like to get to know and old clod kentucky man email me at mcqueen@mail.com.i love farmers and all people .im simple as a jar of rain water, but have a heart and love for God big green earth

    Reply
  15. stanley mcqueen - January 12, 2008 at 4:54 pm

    my father was a tobacco farmer and a good one..i was raised on a small twenty 26 acres tobacco farm , and my father and mother was such good people both hard working and they raised nine of us kids by the sweat of their brow..they are both dead now and i miss them so much, back when we was all at home and growing up we raised big gardens on the small farm and our table was always full of good food, we were poor and dad drove the county school bus and farmed tobacco, those were the good years back then, working together with a hoe in our hand and crops to tend it make us close together and formed a bond that is impossiable to describe..we were taught to work and to grow things and not to complain about a hard day in the fields, we hoed tobacco and our garden was our food. we put out large gardens because they were so many mouths to feed, mother canned large amount of beans and veg soups, she canned black berrys and made jellies and everything that would help our table have food on it..desides our family my great great grandma lived with is and also one of mom brother who name was Carl Dean , mom mother and dad both died early before all her brother and kids were completly grown and married off and what was old enought to be married took in the remainder of the younger one, which was a noble thing to do with mom folks dieing so young before all her brothers and sister was big enought to fend for themselves..i just wanted all you folks to know that back then folks put a lot of stock in the family garden ,because if you was poor folks like us raising a garden was our life line, and i just want to thank God for being taught and brought up on and american farm with good hardworking parents that learned us to work for our bread and to love one another , and to never be scared of a hard days work…if your would like to be a email pal of mine id be happy to hear from any old or young gardener..I am like i said and old kentucky clod that is disabled and now my wife does the garden stuff and i miss being in good health ..but bad health come with age and now im 57 and hoping to see some good looking gardens in the future in it be the lord God will. email me sometime i would be happy to be your friend …mcqueen@mail.com

    Reply
  16. mark nickell - April 5, 2008 at 7:14 pm

    I am planting three 1 acre fields

    My best suggestion would be to contact your local extension office. Ask for the extension advisor that can help you with farming corn. There are different chemicals that can be used in agriculture to control weeds in corn which have different application requirements. Extension offices are available all over the U.S. If you need more info let me know.

    Reply
  17. Janelle - April 22, 2008 at 5:39 am

    I was told that when my corn starts to grow more than 4 leaves that I should pull the bottom 2 off. This is supposed to yield better ears. Is this something I should consider? I haven’t had much success in growing sweet corn lately.

    If you have more than one plant growing in the same space then snip the extra seedling at ground level to allow one main plant to grow. I have ot heard of the 4 leaves theory. One corn plant will normally produce 2 ears and some dwarf cultivars up to 4 ears. If your ears are not filling in, you may need to hand-pollinate to help mother nature.

    Reply
  18. luke lee - November 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm

    Corn smut
    I plant my sweet corn in my garden and are still around a foot high. they are starting to get white stuff on them and nearby huge holes.There doesn’t seem to be any bugs or insects nearby.I already tried some insecstiside for plants but the holes keep coming.How do i get rid of them and where is it coming from?

    Hi Luke
    Are you referring to the ears of corn or the plant itself? The white stuff in ears of corn can be corn smut– a fungus that is considered a delicacy in some countries.

    Reply
  19. growing gardens. could help stimulus - February 14, 2009 at 5:50 am

    with hard times in the united states why don’t folks go back to raising food on the land they have and this would help in these hard times to put some food on the tables, we would be surprise what it would do if everone that could and have enought land to grow some of the food the family eat. by doing this it would make the market food cheaper and then it would level out for good for the consumers over all… just some thoughts from and old kentucky hill billy.
    what do you think about my idea? this would help the stimulus plan and make food prices go down , if they was less demand for foods from the market places

    Reply
  20. Kyle WIlliams - March 10, 2009 at 11:45 am

    Growing gardens could help stimulus. Love that comment and something I think is very important for everyone in the community. Very few of us have truelly seen hard times. But, in many ways the signs are here that hard times are coming. My biggest suggestion is not only grow large gardens and share with our neighbors the bounty of harvest. But to encourage church groups. local community organizations and even local goverments to grow food in every available space. Excess food can be jarred and donated to the poor. There is no reason for anyone to be homeless in this country. But there is even less excuse for anyone to be hungry in this country. Would be a wonderful school program for our children. Would be a wonderful use of alot of land that is sitting idol.

    Well said, I totally agree. Thanks for the comment! Kris

    Reply
  21. blatham - April 25, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    I am planning on planting sweet corn this summer but my garden space is only 10*7 is this area large enough for corn? Plus is it best to plant corn seeds in a row or trench?

    Hi Blatham
    Here’s how Rodale recommends planting corn. “Make a shallow furrow and sow 3 seeds together every 8-12”. Cover with 1-2″ of soil. Space the rows 24-36″ apart and plant in a block of short rows.”* If you use 2ft between rows and 1ft. between seeds then a 4x4ft section will give you 9 groups of seeds and plenty of cross pollination. *Rodale’s vegetables,fruits and herbs

    Reply
  22. linda gregory - June 5, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Short corn tasseling
    my corn is only 1ft 2ft an it is tasseling is this normal.

    Hi Linda
    Corn is usually 5-6ft tall, there are some shorter varieties but tasseling at 1-2ft is not normal. Premature tasseling of corn is a stress related problem usually caused by the weather. Either too cold, too dry,not enough fertilizer will cause stunting and premature tasseling. If you planted corn too early and warm weather corn experienced cold temepratures during stalk elongation, then it may tassel prematurely. Not much you can do about it. A shorter stalk will produce less ears.more info

    Reply
  23. stanley mcqueen - April 30, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    hello everyone , just dropped by to wish ever one a good growing year , times have gotten hard in the past several years and money is scare and jobs are few for people, i just want anyone that read this to know that if everone that has some extra ground, and a little will powers can grow a garden to help on the food Bills, my father and mother raised nine of us on a small kentucky tobacco farm , and as i have wrote before we grew almost everthing we eat, we worked hard and had plenty food, and along with food we have a good family relastionship working as a family for the same cause and that was to live and thrive. God bless everyone and may the lord help us in these trying uncertain times,

    Reply
  24. John OConnor - May 17, 2010 at 11:28 am

    Hi there, can anybody tell me if we should plant corn in the furrows or the ridges up here in the great northwest ?

    Hi John
    Plant corn in shallow furrows, 3 seeds-8-12 inches apart and cover with 1-2 inches of soil.

    Reply
  25. Rod - June 22, 2010 at 7:53 am

    My corn has received too much rain and is turning yellow. Is there anything I can do to save it or is it too late?

    Hi Rod
    Unfortunately, you can’t control the weather and there is nothing you can do but to hope that the rain stops and soil dries.

    Reply
  26. stanley mcqueen - July 4, 2010 at 8:19 pm

    its been a while since i visited this site, and tonight i got and email from a man thanking me for my post, i just want to thank anyone who come across this site and read my comments and enjoys what i wrote, every word come from my heart, and thanking you all did too , bye all and happy garding . Stanley Mcqueen

    Reply
  27. Jenny - July 11, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Looks like there’s a lot of good advice on this site-
    I planted sweet corn this year in my garden in Northern Indiana and we had a couple of HUGE windstorms early this summer that blew the 1-2 ft stalks flat on the ground. We picked it up and mounded dirt around it and then it kept growing and looked okay. However, it looks to be nearly fully tassled now, and there is not an ear in sight anywere!!!! I am concerned that all the pollen will be gone before my corn has ears, much less silks!
    Does anybody know if I can save the pollen off the tassles and then hand-polinate the silks? I have hand-pollinated ornamental corn in the past with good success, but never tried to save pollen. Any tips on how I should attempt to save the pollen? I am thinking about cutting off the tassles and saving them all in the fridge in paper bags…

    Reply
  28. stanley mcqueen - March 13, 2011 at 9:25 am

    the earth has a lot of things that are pretty to look at, but as for me i think a green corn field it the winner when it comes to beauty, i recall as a small boy traveling to indiana when we went to visit our kin folks that live in that state, and seeing the long green corn patches growing alongside the highway, seeing the green tall corn in it prime, just makes you think of what a value corn has been to mankind and beast, corn bread is alway a winner at about any mean, its good with soup beans it good with potatoes, or about anything else in the food chain, and i have often thought how life would have been without corn’ i recall gathering corn with my father here in kentucky when i was just a young boy, Dad grew corn to feed our mules and cows, yes corn is a good crop to raise and a good thing to watch grow and to admire it natural beauty, so go out and plant you some sweet corn and enjoy the fruits of your labor”

    Reply
  29. Gerri - May 22, 2011 at 6:05 pm

    Fertilizing the garden
    This is my first time trying corn and I only planted 3 transplants I purchased at the farmer’s market. One died but the two left are still growing. I’m glad I found this because I was watering them every day. Hopefully I have not damaged them. I have only been gardening for 4 years now, starting with tomatoes, peppers, basil, lavender and parsley the first year. Then I added okra (didn’t plant enough to really get enough to eat but I seeded them), oregano, cabbage and collards (I got a few collards that year.) The 3rd year I added the okra seeds from previous year and watermelon (but too late). I got a lot of okra and several small melons grew but was to late in season for them to ripen. This year, a neighbor told me about the 3 sisters so I planted the corn, squash and beans near each other and I’ve planted the usual tomatoes, peppers, basil, okra, watermelon and lettuce (bibb).

    I have a back disability so I have to do a little every day. I put some of the Miracle Grow Shake and Feed down when I planted everything and added garden soil (Jungle Growth) and composted manure too. How often do I need to do fertilize and will blood meal help? Also, I planted most of my tomatoes, thyme, a purple basil and mint in pots and sat them in the garden area. The cabbage from 2 years ago is still alive so I’m hoping it will give me a product but I had problems with it and collards last year because of the slugs and something else attacking them. I put out slug bait and used Sevin but wasn’t able to use any last year. I’m going to wait until August to plant collards this year and hopefully this will give me a better crop.

    Hi Gerri
    Gardening is a learning experience. Each year you learn something new through trial and error. It sounds as if you are learning a lot. I usually fertilize my garden twice a year once at planting time and then side dress mid-season after a good growth spurt. I don’t use blood meal, a natural organic fertilizer, its a good source for nitrogen which is the first nutrient to deplete in the soil. It would be good for leafy veggetables. Follow the label directions on your fertilizer and blood meal. It should tell you how often to apply. You don’t want to overfertilize as that can bring on other gardening problems.

    Reply
  30. Chesapeake Bay gardener - June 9, 2011 at 7:46 am

    Nice site, I was suprised to see the original post being from years ago and the comments section still active. I am doing corn for the first time this year as well. I too was watering just about every day, I noticed a little yellowing on my squash near my corn and though I should look into that… looks like I was probably over watering… I’ll cut back on the watering a bit, it’s just been so dry hear in SE Virginia. I did apply some plant “food” yesterday in case I was leaching out the nutrients from over watering. My other garden beds have been great so far, Asparagus was great in spring… we’ve also enjoyed arugula, lots of kohlrabi, a few cherry tomatoes, and some new potatoes. Looking forward to fresh corn as I grew up in Wisconsin! Also in the garden, I have several tomato plants, pepper plants, squash, cukes, jericho lettuce (heat tollerant), some chard.

    Wish you all a successful growing season and bountiful harvest! This is only my third real gardening season and I am full 100% into it. I plan to continue to expand every year! Nothing beats fresh veggies and fruits of your labor!

    Cheers!

    Reply
  32. urgghh - October 8, 2011 at 8:36 pm

    I planted corn around my yard last week & now that I wanted to see how the corns were, I was devastated. Most of the corn were lucked out or have been dug out, literally. What kind of pests are these? There are some rats around here, could they have been the culprit and the soil really looks like it as been dug out.
    I have this fertilizer where you must must the corn with it before you plant it on the ground & I used it. However, the expiry date of the fertilizer was september 2011. Could I still use it? Or it could do more damage than good to my corns?
    PLease advice me on this. Thanks. Need your help guys

    Reply

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