How to Grow Sweet Corn

Purchased corn, whether on the cob or in a can can't compare for taste! Sweet corn is easy to grow in the flower and fruit gardening guides home garden with just a little know how and a few corn facts.

Corn needs warm soil temperatures (50° - 65° Fahrenheit) to germinate. Warm temperatures cause sugars in corn to turn into starches and results in loss of sweetness and creamy texture. Sugars also begin converting to starches immediately after harvest.

Sweet corn is divided into three types according to its sweetness: (SU) normal sugary or standard sweet corn, (SE) sugary enhanced, and (Sh2) super sweet.

Standard Sweet Corn (SU)

Normal sugary is the traditional variety of sweet corn. Less sweet than the other types, it will tolerate low temperatures at planting time.

Sugary Enhanced (SE)

(SE) corn is the preferred choice of many of today's flower and fruit gardening guides home gardeners. Sugary enhanced is sweeter than standard corn and retains sweetness longer than either of the other types. While not as sweet as super sweet, it has a creamier texture and tolerates lower soil temperatures.

Super Sweet

Super sweet (Sh2) kernels differ from the other two types of sweet corn by their shriveled, small appearance. Although the sweetest of the three, (Sh2) needs a soil temperature of at least 65° F to germinate. Another drawback of (Sh2) is that its texture is drier and its sugars more rapidly convert to starch after harvest.

Sow your seed in a very rich garden soil and give it access to ample moisture. Because corn is a high-nitrogen feeder, even the best soils may need to the addition of aged manure or nutrient rich compost to produce an optimum crop.

Plant corn in two or more rows for pollination to be successful. Plant kernels in hills of three, spaced about a foot a part with rows three feet apart. Plant kernels from one to 1 ½ inches deep or ¾ inch deep for super sweet types. After germination, preserve the most robust plant in each hill, discarding any other seedlings that have sprouted.

Water rows well after planting, especially in the case of super sweet kernels, which need to absorb more water to germinate. Keep plants well watered throughout the growing season. Corn needs moisture in order to form tassels and silk and to develop healthy ears.

Cultivate frequently to control weeds, but shallowly so as not to damage stalks or roots.

Corn is ready to harvest when silk becomes dry at the ends, ears feel full, and a thumbnail puncture produces a milky-white substance. The sap from under ripe corn will appear watery. Each stalk should produce one large ear of corn. Many varieties also develop a second, smaller ear. Generally, from the time the silk is visible to harvest is about 20 days.

Watch your crop closely after the first silks appear. This is the "milk stage" which lasts for only about a week. The best corn is always the freshest corn! Grill it, steam it, roast it, microwave it --- enjoy it!

Linda is an author of Gardening Tips Tricks and Howto's of Gardening Guides and the Lawn Care section of the Lawnmower Guide.

She writes and inspire you to try new ideas from her own experience.

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Composting and Composters: A Basic Introduction

Why Compost?Recent studies show that an average family throws away... Read More

Choosing the Right Roses for Your Garden

The selection of roses you can grow in your home... Read More

Gardening in Containers

Every Garden can benefit from the addition of container gardens.... Read More

Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives

For best health, it is important to keep your environment... Read More

Granite Flexible Preformed Rock Ponds

More than just a Preformed PondTraditionally, preformed ponds are large... Read More

Indoor Gardening Tips for Jerry Seinfeld

"I have no plants in my house. They won't live... Read More

Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance

You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, tend to... Read More

How to Create a Wildflower Garden

In today's gardens often populated by geraniums, roses, and zinnias,... Read More

Why Teak Coffee Tables Are Essential For Your Outdoor Space

One of the best ways to bring together the many... Read More

The Container Vegetable Garden

If you live in an apartment or town home, you... Read More

Beauty With Indigenous Species

A garden a serves a man's every day need for... Read More

Garden Swings Create an Enchanted Garden Setting

Nothing invites one to sit and enjoy a lovingly created... Read More

Best Perennial Plants for Summer Color

Summer is here and it's time to plant and enjoy... Read More

Mosquitoes in Your Garden? Try Planting These

If you are a serious gardener, you spend lots of... Read More

Gardening For Birds

What a cruel trick the weather is playing on us.WE... Read More

Gardening Vertically: Fad, Emerging Frontier or Long-Overlooked Art Form

Sure, it makes sense that there's a buzz about vertical... Read More

My Spring Bulbs Wont Bloom - Why?

You can hear the wailing from here. "Why aren't my... Read More

Using Push Reel Mowers

If you're not familiar with push reel mowers or if... Read More

Would You Like More Information About Climbing Roses?

What is more beautiful than seeing a home or building... Read More

Gardening Tips for Early - Mid July

Now we are fast approaching the hottest time of the... Read More

New for 2006 - Granite Flexible Preformed Rock Ponds

Traditionally, preformed ponds are large shells, which are extremely burdensome... Read More

Bird Baths in Your Yard

HOOEEEHas summer come in with a bang!Heat waves everywhere.And where... Read More

Chicken Soup for the Soil

Keeping Your Soil HealthyYour soil is the most important part... Read More

Vegetable Garden Layout

The size of your yard will determine your final vegetable... Read More

Fertilizers - What you Need to Feed Your Lawn

Just like humans need food, water and shelter to survive,... Read More

Ultra Violet Pond Filter

Having an ultra violet pond filter will give you a... Read More

You Say Tomato I Say Mosquito

Gathering tomatoes or other fruits of the garden might not... Read More

Earthworm Friends in the Garden

Earthworms are a gardener's best friend.Research has shown that earthworm... Read More

Backyard Bird--The Catbird

It's quiet now.Gone is the constant chatter, whistles and meowing... Read More

To Salt or Not to Salt Your Pond

The important question of whether or not to add salt... Read More

The Many Types of Palm Trees

There are thousands of species of Palm Trees. They are... Read More

Marsh Marigold

The bright yellow flowers of the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)... Read More

Hummingbirds ? Attracting Those Little Flying Powerhouses

It's early in May a beautiful fairly warm day so... Read More