Giant Mexican Corn & Planting Times

The Aztecs and Mayas worshipped a corn god.

Corn, also called maize, is an important and precious plant in Mexico, the corn-consuming capital of the world. Worshiped by the Aztecs and Mayans, this grass has been cultivated in Mesoamerica since prehistoric times. In modern times, giant Mexican corn has become popular with gardeners in the southern and midwestern United States. Many online gardener forums and gardening websites show photographs of immense and fruitful corn plants, and giant Mexican corn seeds are easy to purchase from online retailers.

Seeds

Corn seeds can be purchased online.

Giant Mexican corn seeds may be purchased online from heirloom seed companies, which specialize in old, often organic, and un-genetically modified strains of plants. Giant Mexican corn can also be found as genetically-modified hybrids, optimized for size and drought resistance. Gardeners may also purchase rare strains of native Mexican corn from groups such as Schools for Chiapas, which supports indigenous Tsotsil farmers from the Chiapas region of Mexico. According to their group's website, schoolsforchiapas.org, the Tsotsil people consider corn to be a sacred part of their culture. The use of corn dates back to their Mayan ancestors, and corn is the basis of their diet.

Planting

According to a Gardenmonsters.org growing guide, giant Mexican corn has a fairly long growing season. The site recommends that the seeds be sown as soon as the ground has warmed after winter, and when the night temperature doesn't dip below 50 degrees--the time of year depends on the grower's location. Till the soil thoroughly, as corn plants prefer loose, well-draining soil. Seeds should be sown directly into the ground between 10 to 15 inches apart, which the site recommends to ensure enough space between plants, but which also facilitates pollination between plants. Giant corn plants like compost and manure as fertilizer. The article recommends mixing 40 to 60 pounds of manure per five square feet of soil.

Results

As a remnant of their Mexican heritage, corn plants are resistant to dry weather and grow well in full sun. The plants do not like wind or cold weather. On the Helpful Gardener gardening forum, some Giant Mexican corn growers posted photos of plants ranging from 19 to more than 25 feet tall. Gardeners recommended sufficient water, compost and adequate sunlight. The gardener of the tallest plants said the secret to the largest corn was to find the best Mexican strain for the grower's area.

Uses

After harvesting, Mexican corn can be eaten as elotes (corn on the cob with butter, ground chilies and/or lime), simmered with cream, butter, jalepenos and garlic, added to pozole (hominy, pork and vegetable soup) or ground to make meal for cornbread. An online search for recipes using the Mexican staple yields 742,000 results.

In the news

Mexican farmers need support from the government.

In a March 7, 2010 article in the Los Angeles Times, Tracy Wilkinson reported from Mexico City that since the NAFTA agreement 16 years ago, Mexican farmers have found difficulty competing with the heavily subsidized U.S. agriculture industry. The failure of the Mexican government to adequately subsidize traditional crops like beans and corn has driven many poor farmers to grow illegal (and more profitable) substances like marijuana and opium poppies instead. According to the article, Ricardo Garcia Villalobos, head of a federal court that handles agrarian issues, says far too many farmers have turned to illegal crops, and the government must do its part to provide the farmers with the support to grow legal, endemic crops like Mexican corn, to cut down on crime and support the economy.

References

• Garden Monsters: Growing Giant Corn
• Pure Food: Newsweek Covers the Mexican Corn Controversy
• Los Angeles Times: Mexico Agricultural subsidies are going astray
• Schools for Chiapas

Resources

• Helpful Gardener Forum