Corn taste so much better fresh than anything that you can buy. This is because as soon as they are picked from the parent plant the sugars start to convert to starch and after a few hours, that deliciously light sweet taste is replaced by a blanket mealy flavour. Still good but nothing like as good as they can be eaten fresh from the garden. The seeds are sown in May in 7.5cm (3in) pots and planted out in July. There is no need to be earlier than this as they need hot days and warm nights to grow well. I often underplant them with courgettes and dwarf beans, which is the ancient Mayan ‘Three Sisters’ combination. The beans clamber up the corn stems and the courgettes (squashes can be used too) can grow and spread before the corn becomes too big and shades them out. They must be planted in a block at about 12 inches spacing in each direction, rather than in rows as they are wind-pollinated and if in a straight line, the wind can potentially blow all the pollen away from the waiting plants and you will have no cobs. The cobs tend to be ready to pick when the tassels at their end turn dark brown but I test to see if they are ripe by carefully folding back the surrounding sheaths and squeezing the corn. If they secrete a milky juice, then they are ripe and can be picked. I do not cut the cobs until the water in which they are to be cooked is on a rolling boil, then take them straight from garden to stove. My most recent crop was ‘Doux Miner’, an organic seed from France, and ‘Swift’ is also excellent.
Family | |
Growing zones | N/A |
Growing season(s) | warm weather |
Spacing | 12 inches |
Start indoors or direct sow | direct sow |
Indoor sowing date | N/A |
Earliest outdoor planting | after last frost |
Soil temperature | 60° to 95° |
Fall planting | 14 weeks before average first frost |
Sun needs | 8+ hours |
Water needs | high |
Harvest category | one harvest |
Keep in Mind Tip | Legend says that Native Americans placed a fish in the planting hole before planting corn. Considering corn’s high nitrogen requirements, this method has some merit. They also planted pole beans and squash around corn—known as the “three sisters” technique—a type of companion planting that many people still use today. |
Snapshot | Nothing beats a bite of freshly picked corn on the cob in the height of summer. As long as you plant enough for proper pollination and provide ample nitrogen and water, you can enjoy one of summer’s best treats. |
Starting | Plant corn seeds every 3 inches, 1 inch deep. Thin seedlings to a final spacing of 12 inches. Make sure the soil has been enriched with compost or another high-nitrogen amendment such as composted manure. Because corn is wind-pollinated and each kernel requires one grain of pollen, plant at least four rows of four plants each—the more the better. |
Growing | Set drip irrigation at the base of the rows to ensure the corn gets enough water during the growing season. Besides its need for water, corn grows fairly easily on its own. For smaller plantings where pollination might be a concern, shake the cornstalks when you see silky strands emerging from the corn’s ears. Pollen from the tassels at the top of the plant will blow and drop on the silks. |
Harvesting and Storing | Watch for the silks of the corn to turn brown and completely dry out. When the silk sloughs off the plant with the slightest touch, it’s ready to harvest. To test it, pull down part of the corn’s husk until you see the filled-out kernels a couple of inches from the tip of the ear. Prick a kernel with your fingernail. If the substance is milky-white, it’s ready; if it’s clear, give it a few more days. If no fluid comes out, sadly, it’s too late. Snap the ears off with a brisk twisting motion. Serve as soon as possible, because up to 50 percent of the sugars in corn convert to starch in the first 24 hours after harvest. |
Common Problem | Corn earworms burrow undetected into the tips of the developing ear. Snap off the damaged portion and dispose of the worm; the rest of the corn cob is fine to eat. Some gardeners find success applying mineral oil to the silks about 5 days after the silks first appear. |
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