Saturday, July 9, 2011
Sweet Corn Farming
Planting
*
Sweet corn should be planted in full sun in warm soil no sooner than a week after the last hard frost. The soil should be plowed so it is well broken up and without lumps. Work up the soil at least a week before planting to increase its circulation and help it warm up (average soil temperatures should be around 65°F/18°C).
Sweet corn can be planted by hand, using a hand seeder or a tractor powered seeder for large-scale planting. No matter what you use, the corn should be planted in rows spaced 15- to 30-inches apart. As the seeds are planted about 1-inch to 1.5-inches deep, a row of fertilizer (15-15-15) should be buried next to the seed row about 2 inches away. Seeders can do this automatically but if you're planting by hand, use a hoe to dig a channel about an inch deeper than the one for the seeds, evenly fill it with fertilizer then cover it. Too much fertilizer will kill the corn plants but without it there won't be enough nutrients to produce tall stalks and full-kernelled ears as corn plants are heavy feeders.
Do not plant a single row of corn or the stalks will not be able to pollinate. Corn is a self pollinator, and the stalks need to be in a grouping to do so.
Corn plants mature on average about 90 days (varieties will vary) in ideal weather. Since this time fits well into the growing season of most areas, stagger plantings two weeks apart to produce corn longer, not all at once.
If you're planting a section of Super Sweet corn put at least 25 feet of space between it and the rest of the corn to avoid cross pollination that could disrupt flavors.
Planting
*
Sweet corn should be planted in full sun in warm soil no sooner than a week after the last hard frost. The soil should be plowed so it is well broken up and without lumps. Work up the soil at least a week before planting to increase its circulation and help it warm up (average soil temperatures should be around 65°F/18°C).
Sweet corn can be planted by hand, using a hand seeder or a tractor powered seeder for large-scale planting. No matter what you use, the corn should be planted in rows spaced 15- to 30-inches apart. As the seeds are planted about 1-inch to 1.5-inches deep, a row of fertilizer (15-15-15) should be buried next to the seed row about 2 inches away. Seeders can do this automatically but if you're planting by hand, use a hoe to dig a channel about an inch deeper than the one for the seeds, evenly fill it with fertilizer then cover it. Too much fertilizer will kill the corn plants but without it there won't be enough nutrients to produce tall stalks and full-kernelled ears as corn plants are heavy feeders.
Do not plant a single row of corn or the stalks will not be able to pollinate. Corn is a self pollinator, and the stalks need to be in a grouping to do so.
Corn plants mature on average about 90 days (varieties will vary) in ideal weather. Since this time fits well into the growing season of most areas, stagger plantings two weeks apart to produce corn longer, not all at once.
If you're planting a section of Super Sweet corn put at least 25 feet of space between it and the rest of the corn to avoid cross pollination that could disrupt flavors.
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