Growing Sweet corn, also corn,maize

Zea mays, var. rugosa : Poaceae / the grass family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        P P            

(Best months for growing Sweet corn in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 20 - 30 cm apart
  • Harvest in 11-14 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): All beans, cucumber, melons, peas, pumpkin, squash, amaranth
  • Avoid growing close to: Celery.

Your comments and tips

24 Jan 13, ben black (Australia - tropical climate)
i have recently planted my crop of sweet corn here in bundaberg it was planted about 6 weeks ago and already stand about 7 to 8 feat tall and have 3 to 4 cobs per plant i dont know why but they do would like to know why
17 Aug 13, Ferran (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
my sweet corn last year had a mixture of 1-3 cobs per plant. its normal having more than 1 cob per plant but i found that they did not produce as much as one cob per plant and snaped of the smaller ones so as to get a better havest. I found that it had to do with how close they were together. my veriety worked best with 16 stalks per meatre square. bit late and i hope your havest went well. As for the reason, just like when you grow pumpcin you can have several friuts on a vine or one the plant puts its energy equally in to however many friuts there are. when there is only one it gets much bigger than when there are multipual pumpcins however you get more pumpcins if you let them grow multipual ones per vine. some verietys just natraly have more or less friuts per vine and you as the gardener get to chose how many the plant grows or how big they can get.
15 Jan 13, Patrick (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
What should be done with laterals on the main stalk? Will I leave them on to allow additional corn to grow on them or does leaving them on the main stalk deprive the main stalk from food?
14 Jan 13, Jason (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all. Just wondering if mid-January is too late to plant corn in Sydney?
13 Jan 13, Banda (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
i have a plot almost 10 hecters,im also keeping chicken,can i plant some maize and soya beans now for the feed?,thanks.
06 Jan 13, (Australia - temperate climate)
How do tell corn is ready to pick
10 Jan 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It's usually ready when the tassles/threads are drying up or black/brown. You can peel back the leaves around the top of the cob before picking to check if it is ripe and fold them back to keep growing if it isn't ready.
05 Jan 13, Hilda (Australia - arid climate)
how many cobs of corn can you expect to harvest from each plant
10 Jan 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It depends on the variety. Most seem to produce two or three, but I've seen some varieties with four or five.
31 Dec 12, lawrence (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
once the corn has been picked do you cut off the stalks and it regrows or do you pill it out and plant again
Showing 281 - 290 of 413 comments

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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