Sweet and Juicy Corn Plants

Corn plants look impressive in any vegetable garden and are easy to grow. Corn, also known as sweet corn, is a warm-season plant but can be grown in many climates. Planting corn is well worth the extra effort if you are a fan of corn on the cob.

Seed corn is available from most garden supply shops, or can be ordered from a seed merchant. Soil should be prepared before planting with organic material, as corn grown from seed is best planted directly into the garden bed rather than transplanted as seedlings.

Seeds should be planted around 1” deep in the soil, and planting about 6” apart to start with is good, thinning out to twice that distance once the corn seedlings are established. Dusting the seeds with fungicide before planting is a good idea, as is applying a pre-planting fertilizer to the soil.

Pollination and Harvesting

Corn relies on pollination, so it is best to plant short rows rather than one long row. This allows the pollen from the male plants to reach the flowers on the female plants. Watering the corn from above before the sun is fully up is a good way to create a humid atmosphere, which is best for promoting good pollination among your plants.

Corn cobs are ready to pick when the cobs stand out from the stem and the silks have turned brown. If you are not sure that the corn is ready, pull a little of the husk from the top of your corn cob, and press one of the grain inside. It should be soft and pressure should result in some creamy juice coming out.

Twist the cobs down and away from the plant to remove. Corn is best cooked as soon as it is removed from the plant. Make sure the water is boiling before you put your cob, husk removed, in the pan.

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