Growing Corn

Corn is a relatively easy vegetable to grow. Corn needs to grow in full sunlight for at least eight hours a day. It needs warm soil that is at least 60 degrees warm, so in most areas, planting the seeds is done in May or June. If you want to get an earlier start, you can cover the soil with plastic which will warm the soil faster. The soil needs to drain well before planting, so if your soil drains slowly, you can add mulch to help it. The pH of the soil needs to be between 6.0 and 6.5. Adding lime to it can help raise the pH, if necessary.

If you are planting different varieties of corn, be sure to have at least 300 meters of space between them. It is also good to be mindful of any neighbors who may have corn growing in their yards. Being that corn is pollinated by the wind, it is important to have three or four rows of corn. The rows should be a little less than three feet apart and each seed should be planted an inch deep and about a foot apart. Keeping your corn watered just right is very important. During normal weather, making certain the corn gets about an inch of water every week is best.

The soil should not be allowed to dry out in between waterings. If you are having dryer weather than usual, you will need to water a little more frequently. Corn does not do well if the soil is too wet or too dry for extended periods of time. Keeping a handle on the weeds every week is important as well. If you let them go, they will quickly get out of hand. Corn is prone to a number of diseases, so it is best to purchase disease-resistant seeds to plant.