Growing Sweet Corn: Growing Organic Corn in Your Garden

You can start growing sweet corn organically in your garden if you have plenty of space.

You can start growing sweet corn in your garden or anywhere on your property to enhance the beauty and enjoy the wonderful taste of home grown sweet corn.

sweet corn (Zea mays) is actually a cereal with a high sugar content. It is also known by many other names such as corn pole, sweet corn and sweet corn.

Unlike field corn varieties (which are harvested when the kernels are dry and ripe), sweet corn is harvested when it is immature (milky stage).

And it is primarily used and eaten as a vegetable, not a grain. Sweet corn is also sweeter than field varieties and has a pleasant sweet taste.

Sweet corn is relatively easy to grow and is indeed a warm season crop. So if you have room in your garden, consider growing sweet corn organically.

How to grow sweet corn

Sweet corn requires a long, frost-free season. Sweet corn plants are relatively hardy and are actually very easy to grow. However, here we describe everything about growing sweet corn organically in the home garden.

First select a variety

There are actually 3 types of sweet corn: regular, high sugar, and super sweet.

Each of these three types contains different levels of sucrose, altering the flavor and texture of the corn. Generally, sweeter varieties stay sweeter longer after harvest.

Whatever variety you decide to grow, it’s a good idea to check with other local home gardeners to see which varieties are doing well in your area.

And within these three types, several varieties are available. Some popular sweet corn varieties are Challenger Crisp n Sweet, Lochief, Pristine, and Silver Queen.

Buy seeds

After choosing the right variety, you need to buy seeds. Sweet corn is grown all over the world. So the seeds should be readily available in your area.

Best time to grow sweet corn

Sweet corn is a warm season crop. So, for successful germination, make sure the soil temperature is above 16°C.

But if you live where the ground temperature is below this level, consider using a black plastic blanket to warm the ground.

Soil preparation

Sweet corn grows well in loamy soil with sun and good drainage.

Corn is actually picky about its soil, so you have to make it perfect for the best plant growth. Till the soil and divide the planting area.

And then add well-rotted manure or compost to the soil. Thus, the soil must be prepared before planting the seeds (at least 1 month or more). And before planting, again plow a little and level the ground.

planting

When planting sweet corn seeds, make sure the soil temperature is above 16°C for better germination.

Mark the rows by making posts in the bed to create the rows, then plant the seeds. Sow the seeds about 1.5 to 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart.

Rows should be 2.5 to 3 feet apart. Water the flowerbeds after planting the seeds.

Plan your site carefully to ensure sufficient pollination. Do not plant 2 long rows, it is better to plant a corn block in at least 4 rows.

Soak the seeds in fresh water for about 24 hours. This will help the seeds germinate better. Usually, sweet corn seeds germinate 10 to 14 days after sowing.

Care

Sweetcorn is one of the easiest plants to grow in the home garden and requires less maintenance.

Extra care for sweet corn will help them grow well. Here we will tell you more about how to grow sweet corn correctly.

Feed / fertilizer: If you prepare the soil properly using the methods above, you do not need to apply additional fertilizer. Although fertilizing the soil at planting time with aged manure or homemade compost will help plants grow quickly.

Watering:

You don’t need to water the plants daily to grow sweet corn. But the soil should be well-drained and able to maintain constant moisture for better plant growth. Water your plants when the soil is dry. Corn plants have shallow roots, so watering is necessary in dry conditions. You can water the plants at the rate of 5 gallons per square meter.

Mulching: Mulching will help reduce evaporation and ultimately retain moisture in the soil. It will also help reduce weeds in your garden. Mulch can be hay, grass clippings, straw or compost.

Cannabis control:

Weeds are harmful to all plants and consume most of the soil’s nutrients. Therefore, weed control is very important when growing sweet corn. Use a ripper between rows to control weeds, but be very careful as sweet corn has very shallow roots that can be damaged when ripping.

Dilution: Sweet corn plants will not grow well if overcrowded. Thus, thinning the plants will promote their best growth. Cut the plants when they are about 3 to 4 inches tall and make sure the plants are 8 to 12 inches apart.

Pests and diseases

Like many other vegetables, corn is vulnerable to some common garden pests. Cutworms, cucumbers and fleas are common pests of corn plants.

You can easily get rid of all these pests by applying homemade organic pesticides or insecticides.

Harvest

Field corn is harvested when the kernels are dry and ripe. And sweet corn is usually harvested immature (dairy stage). It is used as a vegetable and not as a grain.

You can start harvesting sweet corn when the clumps turn brown and the cobs begin to swell. The kernels at this stage should be full and milky. And this is the best time to harvest sweet corn.

These are the usual steps for growing organic sweet corn in your garden. Hope you enjoyed this guide! To be in a good health!

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