Corn, which is also known as maize is an outsized grain plant that originates a super healthy crop. This crop is highly noted for its healthy kernels, which has its native in the Mexican region. Being a great outdoor plant, several gardeners love to cultivate this vigorous plant in their own garden area. Despite the fact that corn plants are very particular about the perfect climate, numerous new age gardeners or rather say container gardeners also dare to grow this plant on their own potentiality! If you are also planning for cultivating this crop on your own, then let’s check out some important things about the growing methods, before jumping to the work, take a look-
Growing Corn
1. Soil
- Corn plants are extremely picky about the ideal soil type and they generally claim well-drained soil with rich nourishment value.
- Keep the pH level within 6.0 to 6.8 levels and add organic matters to adjust the pH level if you found them too high or too low.
- Corp plant like soil which is rich in nitrogen content so, sow your corn plant where you already grew peas or bean crops, as these plants help to increase the nitrogen level in the soil.
- Corn plant needs 60 degrees temperature for the soil; so, make sure that your garden soil has the perfect temperature before sowing the seeds.
- Mix manure or organic compost to the soil of your selected ground before starting the seeding process.
2. Season:
- Different types of corn claim different sort of season for cultivating but, it will be better if you can start the seedling two weeks after the very last spring frost time.
- As because, corn is a crop of heat and like full sun to grow thus, in between May and June is the best period to begin the cultivation process.
- The ideal temperature for growing corn should keep within 77 ̊F to 91 ̊F during the utmost cultivating session.
- Nevertheless, the plant needs a bit low temperature during the germination period. According to the agricultural methods, try to keep the temperature 55 ̊F at the top part of your soil to get the slow yet steady germination.
Growing Corn Beginners guide
3. Planting:
- Once you decide the location in your garden and prepare the soil with perfect attributes, begin your planting procedure with full grounding.
- To sow the seeds, push 2 to 3 seeds together 1-2-inch below the façade of your soil base.
- Leave 24 to 36 inches gap in between two holes, to provide sufficient room for each growing plant.
- After sowing the seeds properly, cover the top with some more compost-soil mix and water them thoroughly.
- Because of the good drainage system, you can water heavily to your plants and provide them full nourishment from water content!
- Usually, corn plant requires one-inch of water per weekly basis to reach the perfect growth.
- Fertilize the soil frequently because this plant has a hunger quality than other typical crops. Time released fertilizer like 10-10-10 would be a great pick for the fertilizing soil of corn plant in a natural way.
- You can use the trowel or hoe to stir the fertilizer into the top inch of soil near the base of your plants.
- After your plants reach a minimum height, water twice a week or whenever you find that the soil looks dry. Remember that any kind of neglecting about watering could drive your corn fewer kernels than its natural forms!
- Now you just need to take appropriate care of your plant along with its crop and wait for the harvesting period.
Growing Sweet Corn Guide
4. Care:
- After completing the planting process, you can cover the seedling with a row cover, if you expect a surprising late frost, as any kind of freezing climate can rot the seeds instantly!
- Covering the soil with a black colored piece of plastic would be a great idea to hold the warm for an extended session.
- Whenever you fertilize your soil after sowing the seeds, use one cup of time-released fertilizer per every 10-feet of row.
- After witnessing the tassels in your plant, you need to fertilize the soil with the high-nitrogen
- Water frequently, and validate the drainage system also every time you water your plant.
- Never water your plants from the top as this may drive you’re a set of the unhealthy or damaged crop at the end of the season.
- Never allow any kind of weeds or other creeping plants near your corn plant ever!
- Fighting with unwanted pests and diseases would be the last but the most imperative care that every gardener should take about their crop, and for that, check the process below-
5. Pest and Diseases:
Corn plants are blown by several gusty pests and revolting diseases which destroy our tasty corn kernels completely. Some worms affect the plant and its crop because of its luring taste, while some fungal or bacterial diseases could occur because of the dislocation or improper care of plants. So let’s check out some of the typical pests and diseases of this plant along with their remedies.
Corn leaf aphid, peach aphid, armyworms, corn earworm, cutworms, raccoons, etc. are some common worms, pests or insects which could easily affect the corn plant, leafs, ears, or crops. Use an organic insecticide to get rid of any kind of aphids or worms from your plants like Bacillus Thuringiensis or other biological products. Any kind of organic pesticide would work greatly on corn insects too, or you need to protect your plants from any kind of soil interaction except the base to prevent this crisis.
Fungal or bacterial diseases basically occur because of the inappropriate circumstance around the planting area, like low light, extra moist soil, crowded space, lack or water or fertilization, etc. Downy mildew diseases, common smut, common rust, charcoal rot, Cercospora leaf spot, Goss’s bacterial blight, Holcus spot, maize dwarf mosaic, etc. are some typical diseases which could affect the corn plant frequently. Using pesticide is a very general trick to get rid of these troubles; you can also use some natural ways to prevent these problems like starting your cultivation with complete diseases free items and placing them in a proper sunny location, arranging fences around the crop ground to pick them up from the touch of wet or moist circumstance, spraying plant with a huge jet of water, etc.
you also be interested in growing brussel sprouts and cilantro.
How to grow corn and keep pests at bay
Corn Harvest and Storage:
6. Harvest:
- The harvesting period has two different stages among them one is the mature stage and the other one is called ‘milk stage’. When the kernels of corn produce a milky substance and seem punctured under the well-packed husk, it is the milk stage and the fully ripe or mature stage comes after a few days of that period.
- When the corn would be ready to pick, the silks should look brown and dry along with a slight green shade at the base.
- Generally, the each stalk of a corn plant produces 2 ears of the crop, so check for the both pieces before harvesting each one!
- To be more certain about the ripeness of your crop, peel a small side of husk and press one kernel with your hand, if it produces a liquid with clear white shade then wait for a few more day to harvest. Because, once the corn gets fully ripen, the kernels would be strong and hard, despite the milky shade!
- Generally, the harvesting period comes with 60 to 100 days after starting the planting process.
- After being satisfied, harvest your crop and place them in a proper place to store for a long time.
7. Storage:
- To store corn for long periods, keep them in your refrigerator with the entire husk on.
- If you want to store them in the form of kernels then, use a corn cutter and remove all the kernels from the ear and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag to store them in your freezer.
- You can even store them in a plastic wrap as well while placing in the refrigerator just don’t forget to cut off the shank before wrapping them. But, remember that corn could stay fresh for a long while if you can store them in an unwrapping form in your refrigerator.
Love salads with corn, learn how to grow broccoli and cucumber.
Growing Corn in Containers:
- To cultivate corn plant in a container pick a garden pot with 12-inch depth and wide face pattern.
- Corn plants require nitrogen-based rich soil to thrive so, arrange the proper potting mix with the same quality and perfect pH balance to sow your corn seeds.
- Now, sow 5 to 6 seeds in inch container about ½-1 inch deep from the top potting mix layer.
- Though the caring or cultivating process is a little varied by the variety of the corn yet the utmost categories need plenty of water, full sunlight and loads and loads of organic fertilizer. Peat-based potting soil performs excellently for the growth of corn plants.
- After completing the planting process, water the seeds thoroughly and then place container near a sunny window.
- You need to water your plant every single day to cultivate the crop sweet and soft.
- Now, mulch your corn plant after seeing the germination to grab the moisture for an extended period and get rid of the weeds. Woodchips, bay, grass, newspapers, etc. are some functional mulching elements in such case.
- Then, fertilize frequently, and validate the every single step of the cultivation to get the healthiest part of your crops.
Best Varieties of Corn:
Corn has various type and these below mentioned varieties are the top categories among them, which are one of the popular wholegrain products around, take a look-
Sweet corn: Sweet corn is the most famous category of corns which is basically the immature form of a normal corn and use as a starchy substance. This corn is hugely used in several Asian, Indian and continental dishes because of its amazing taste.
Popcorn: It is a minor crop that is an individual form of dent corn and primarily purposed for the consumption of human. Generally, lose kernels turn into the form of popcorn after baking or getting a particular heat. Almost 60 percent corns are cultivated every year to fulfill the requirement of this single utilization!
Hominy: When corns are grown in the alkali solution with a high content of vitamin B and amino acid, then those types of corns are known as hominy or nixtamal types. Normally, these types of kernels are used to make flour or paste as the dough of hominy corn works great on several baking dishes.
Flint corn: Polenta is the softest form of corn as we all know and that from comes from the flint corn. This corn type has hard and glassy sort of outer shell which is mostly cultivated in the central part of America. This corn could use n several purposes for as feed and food sources.
Pod corn: Pod corns are one of the rarest patterns of corn which come with elongated and colorful kernels. This type of corn flaunts great when to use in any kind of salads or mix vegetable preparations because of its vibrant appearance. Although, pod corn is usually grown for ornamentation instead of commercial purpose!
General Tips and Ideas on Growing Corn:
After authenticating the entire stages about how to grow corn, let’s check out some more highlighting tips on this cultivating issue-
- Always decide the cultivating process according to your chosen variety of corn as some growing steps are varied by the types of the cop!
- Water more to the plant after watching the fruits, if you want to get a sweeter taste in your crops.
- Corn plants are very particular about the perfect climates so if you can’t arrange it naturally, supply it artificially to give a boost to the growth.
- Corn plant can’t stand too long against windy atmosphere so, try to give your plant a proper protection from wind once they start to reach the length of 5 to 6 inches.
- After a gap of 5 to 6 week from the seedling, feed your plant with blood meal or fish base organic fertilizer to get the handful of healthy corns at the end of your farming.
- If you found a single side or stem is infected by the worms or fungal infections then, cut that portion out of the plant, instead of disturbing the whole plants or entire crops.
Reference
Corn growing guide : rodalesorganiclife.
Growing Sweet corn : Motherearthnews.
Growing Sweet corn in bayard: Corn.
Sweet corn growing ideas : rhs.org.uk.