How to Prepare Soil for Sweet Corn

Plant several rows of sweet corn.

Sweet corn is a popular crop grown in backyard gardens across the country. Growing your own sweet corn allows you to eat fresh-picked corn in the summer months. Sweet corn comes in a number of varieties and in yellow, white or a combination of both colors. Make plans to plant at least four rows of sweet corn to ensure proper pollination. Prepare the soil in your garden in the spring, when you can easily work with it.

Things You'll Need

• Mechanized tiller or plow (optional)
• Spade
• Rake
• Compost
• Aged manure
• Fertilizer (12-12-12)

Instructions

1. Grow sweet corn in a location providing full sun and well-draining soil. Designate enough room to space the corn 12 inches apart in rows that are spaced 3 feet apart.

2. Use a garden plow, mechanized tiller or spade to work the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Break up the soil and then rake it level.

3. Add two or more inches of compost and aged manure to enrich the soil. Mix this well into the planting area.

4. Apply a fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, at a rate of three to four pounds per 100 square feet, suggests Purdue University. Work the fertilizer to a depth of 6 inches and then level the soil again.

5. Plant the corn seeds when the temperatures of the soil reach 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

References

• Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Sweet Corn
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension: Growing Sweet Corn in the Backyard Garden

Resources

• University of Missouri Extension: Growing Sweet Corn in Missouri
• University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow-Corn
• The University of Tennessee: Growing Sweet Corn in the Home Gardens