It Takes a Kernel of Skill to Grow Great Sweet Corn

Driving around back roads to find the perfect ear of sweet corn practically qualifies as a state sport, but a vegetable expert says backyard gardeners also can grow sweet and tasty ears without much trouble.

Many sweet corn varieties are resistant to most major corn diseases. Also, in a backyard garden you can walk through the corn and pick off pests. Most corn pests are more interested in acres of corn than they are a garden plot.

Sweet corn is a popular food item primarily in the United States. Most European, African and Asian countries grow field corn to feed livestock and poultry or to make cornmeal, which is used for polenta, tortillas, mealy meal, breads and other products.

Sweet corn was developed from maize, which is native to the Americas and has been cultivated in Central America since 3500 B.C. Seed companies have sold sweet corn varieties since the early 1800s, but they really became popular as garden crops in the 1960s, with the development of a very popular sweet variety called Silver Queen.

All sweet corn varieties are grown from seed and can be planted in most of Illinois from about May 15 to July 1, depending upon whether varieties are early-season or late-season. To enjoy sweet corn throughout the growing season, gardeners should make multiple plantings of early, main season and late-maturing varieties.

Dedicating at least a 5 foot by 5 foot square of soil for corn, a plot capable of producing about 16 corn plants or around 30 edible ears is recommended. A square plot is ideal because corn is pollinated by the wind and plants are more likely to receive adequate wind flow in a square than in a long row.

Seeds should be planted one inch deep about every 4 inches in rows 16 inches apart. As the plants appear, pull out the less vigorous plants. Ideally, you should have about 16 inches of space between each remaining plant, which allows for good pollination and space to grow.

Corn attracts a wide variety of pests, including corn borers, corn earworms, armyworms, Japanese beetles and corn rootworms. Home gardeners can use Sevin, an all-purpose garden insecticide or cover the crop with fine mesh row covers. The row covers will have to be removed when corn tassels appear so the plants can pollinate. In a small plot, most people can control pests by walking through and removing insects – unless your plot is next to a farmer's giant cornfield.

Growing your own corn is the best way to ensure fresh, sweet-tasting ears. When sweet corn is picked, it immediately starts to convert its sugar content to starch and loses aroma and vitamins. Corn tastes best when you start the water boiling on the stove and then go out and pick a few ears. But, if you put the ears in a plastic bag and refrigerate immediately after picking, most varieties will retain good quality for about 5 days.

Source: Penn State University

Spring 2001
Finding the Best Site for a Garden Is More Than a Random Process | Build a Raised Bed | It Takes a Kernel of Skill to Grow Great Sweet Corn | Pruning Ornamentals Keeps Your Garden on the Cutting Edge | Lawn Care Calendar | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Mad Cow Disease | Green Eggs: The Science of Egg Cookery | Concern for Egg Safety | New National Standards for Organic Food | Your Spring Vegetable Garden Plan | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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