How to Plant & Harvest Corn

Grow corn in your backyard.

When we think of corn, we think of the Midwest, and while most commercial corn in the United States is grown in places like Iowa and Indiana, gardeners all over the country grow many corn varieties in their own backyards. From sweet corn to popcorn to Indian corn, which is primarily used for seasonal decorating, corn can be grown in even the smallest of backyard gardens.

Things You'll Need

• Compost or well-rotted manure
• Tiller or hand cultivating tool
• Drip irrigation system
• Organic mulch

Instructions

1. Select a site with full sunlight and amend the soil with two to four inches of well-rotted manure or compost for each 100 square feet of garden. Till in the amendment to six inches deep. Plant corn when the soil temperature is at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, recommends the Utah State University Extension recommends.

2. Plant in blocks with at least three double rows per block. In each double row, space the corn seeds 12 inches apart, with 10 to 12 inches between rows and 30 to 42 inches between each double row.

3. Cultivate with a hand tool between rows and with a tiller between double rows to keep weeds in check. Pull weeds when they are still small.

4. Irrigate corn plants with a drip irrigation system for efficient watering. Run hoses between double rows, and position one emitter at each plant. Corn requires regular watering to a depth of eight to 12 inches. Lay two inches of organic mulch after the seedlings emerge. This will conserve soil moisture.

5. Try to puncture a kernel with a thumbnail. If it punctures easily, the corn is ready for harvest. The ears should be plump, the silks dry and the kernels milky, according to the Utah State University Extension.

Tips & Warnings

• Make more than one planting to extend the growing season. Make the second planting after the first corn has three fully developed leaves, and so on, recommends the University of Tennessee Extension.

• Plant seeds deeper in lighter soils and shallower in heavy soils.

• If you plan to grow more than one variety, isolate them by planting them at least 100 yards apart

• Use the "Three Sisters" method, or at least the corn and beans portion, to ensure adequate nitrogen availability. Plant pole beans or runner beans with this method. Build small mounds five feet apart and plant four corn seeds in each mound, in a 6-inch square. When the corn is 4 inches tall, plant four bean seeds, making sure each one is three inches from the nearest corn plant, as ReneesGarden.com recommends. The third "sister" is squash.

References

• University of Tennessee Extension: Growing Sweet Corn in Home Gardens
• Renee's Garden: Celebrate the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash
• Utah State University Extension: Sweet Corn in the Garden