How to Grow Corn

1. Intro and Corn information (note: mention the ease of growing corn)
a. Corn Varieties
The types of corn that are commercially available and suitable for consumption all belong to the sweet
corn, also called edible or vegetable corn. They are characterized by a sweet taste, which is due to
the fact that the conversion of starch to sugar takes place quite slowly. The cobs are not fully ripe, but
harvested when they are ready for milk. The grains are then round and smooth and a milky liquid
escapes when lightly pressed. Sweet corn comes in different sizes, shapes and colours. Extra sweet
varieties are now also available on the market. In contrast to sweet corn, grain maize has larger ears.
It is used as animal feed or ground in the form of grain and used for dough and bread.

Soft and hard maize largely describe themselves by their name. Soft maize has a pliable starch and
can be easily processed into pastes or dough. It is often used, for example, in the manufacture of
tortillas. In the case of hard corn, on the other hand, the starch is brittle. Therefore it cannot be
processed as well as soft corn and is mostly used as animal feed or corn starch. Toothed corn is a
type of corn that is particularly widely grown in the United States. Its strength is soft inside, but hard
inside. This maize is also not offered for human consumption, but processed into fodder. Puffed corn
is a special type of corn with a thin, but very hard and glassy shell. These properties make popcorn
ideal for making popcorn. With other maize varieties this works very poorly or not at all. Babycorn is a
type of small corn is not a separate variety. As baby or mini maize, the approximately 10 cm long,
unripe harvested cobs of sweet corn are named. They are considered particularly tender and can be
eaten whole. They are often used in wok or pan dishes. We often offer pickled baby corn as pickles.

b. Size of stalks and ears

The grains are similar in size to the dimension of peas, as well as stick to steady rows about a white,
concise substance, which forms the ear. The supreme size of kernels is allegedly 2.5 cm. An ear
usually holds 600 kernels. Corn is an annual herbaceous plant of varying height consisting of a single,
large-diameter stem made up of a stack of nodes and internodes. At each node are inserted a leaf
and an axillary bud. Depending on the variety, each plant has between 15 and 20 leaves, large (up to
10 cm wide and 1 meter long) and distributed alternately on one side and the other of the stem.

c. Average plant yield

One corn plant, given sufficient budding situations, will harvest in the middle of two and four ears of
corn. Initial varieties yield fewer, while later-maturing categories yield to some extent. How much corn
you acquire will mainly depend on how healthy maintain the crop.

2. Garden Preparation

 Sow in a pocket from April, when you are sure there will be no more frost. To do this, make
holes 2 cm deep, 40 cm apart and place 3 grains in each hole. Cover with earth and tamp
down a little. Stagger your seedlings every week until mid-June, to spread the harvest.
 Plant a single variety of corn in your garden (or if not, at least 100m away), otherwise the cob
will be hybrid and will not match the variety originally sown.
 Water regularly. You will see the first shoots come out two weeks after sowing.
 It is important to know that the climate and the type of soil are things to consider when
growing different types of corn. Some types of corn prefer warm or cold soil and the pH can
also vary.
 Sweetcorn is a classic variety that is usually eaten directly on the cob or canned. It has a
bright yellow colour and a mild, light flavour. It is the variety most used in vegetable gardens.
 Classic sweet corn is the sweetest of all corn. Over 50% of the sugar in sweetcorn is
converted to starch within 24 hours of collection, so it should be eaten or canned soon after
harvest.
  Sweetcorn fortified with sugar is genetically modified to slow down this process of turning
sugar into starch increasing the sweet flavour of the kernels.
 Corn needs a lot of space for two reasons: it is very greedy and it is mainly wind pollinated.
As the pollen grains spread through the flowers growing on the tops of the plants, they must
find their way to the fragments of silk that are emerging from the newly formed spikes. To
make sure that the silks receive good pollen, plant corn in blocks in short rows rather than in a
long, single row.
 In regions where the soil stays cool, cover the soil with black film a week or two before
planting and place the plants through holes cut in the material. Corn requires a location in
complete sun and fertile soil with a pH value of 6.0 - 6.8. Seedlings can be wide-open as
quickly as the last spring frost has conceded. In the advent of late-night frost, be ready to
shield the seedlings with fabric protection. Plan to add fertilizer twice as corn is a very greedy
plant.

3. How to Sow and Plant

Corn prefers a soil rich in nitrogen and well cultivated. If possible, try planting it in soil in which you
have already grown peas or beans, as these enrich the soil with nitrogen. Remove all weeds. Make
sure the soil is around 15 ° C. If it is not hot enough, you can increase the temperature a little by
covering the soil with a plastic sheet that you will pierce to sow the kernels of corn. Add compost or
manure to the soil two to four weeks before planting so that it has time to incorporate into the soil. For
each person who will eat corn, sow ten to fifteen kernels of corn. If each sowing is 100% successful,
each kernel should produce a corn plant with two cobs. Corn is pollinated by the wind, so it is best to
sow the kernels in groups rather than individual seedlings, so that the pollen has a better chance of
dispersing and causing germination. Plant the seeds in a row, spacing them 7 to 8 cm apart and
leaving 60 to 90 cm between each row. Make at least 4 rows, so the wind can distribute the pollen
between them. Plant the seeds about 3-4 cm below the soil surface, spaced about 60 cm apart. To
increase the likelihood that the kernels will germinate, sow two or three kernels in the same location. If
you sow different kinds of corn, be sure to sow them in different areas of the vegetable garden to
reduce the risk of cross-pollination. If this happens, the corn will be hard and full of starch. For the
sowing period, if you are a follower of the cycles of the moon, it is advisable to carry out the operation
in the rising moon and in fruit days. Sowing can be done in April, either in a shelter for replanting on
sunny days, or in the ground in a mini-greenhouse. This greenhouse will protect the future plant from
low temperatures, but also from cats who might find the square comfortable. If you want to grow your
corn in the ground, make sure your soil is not heavy. Choose a sunny location. You will need to
conscientiously hoe the entire area to be sown to turn the soil over and aerate it, but also to make it
less compact and remove the stones. In your square vegetable garden, you can sow in three small
holes (called “pockets”) in a middle square, or four in a corner square: 3 or 4 seeds per hole. When
planning, leave two squares free so that you can transplant the less vigorous plants. Any square can
be suitable, provided it is sunny. You can also grow corn on your balcony. Plan for height, because
your plant will be tall: 1.50 meters to 2 meters.

4. Planting an Established Corn Stalk

Planting corn seedlings shortens the ripening period significantly, so that the harvest can take place
as early as the end of June. Choosing the right hybrid depends on the area under cultivation and the
composition of the soil. In Central Russia, mainly native varieties of Transnistrian production are used:
Zolotoe Runo, Viola, or Western varieties: Spirit, Trophy, Legend, Sheba and others. There are
standard sizes of cassettes where this crop is planted with seedlings. A cell should be more than 45
cubic centimetres and no more than 600 cells per square meter. The cassettes must not touch the
floor. This can lead to root germination and subsequent root damage during the transplant. To avoid
using stands. How to grow seedlings depends on the soil and the time of year. The country for the
cells is selected taking into account the requirements of the respective maize variety. The structured
soil with turf is mixed with quality humus in a ratio of 1 to 1. If the soil is hard, additionally flavoured
with dry sand, but not more than 10%. A useful addition to the soil is peat, ash, coconut, mixed with
humus as baking powder. This is how corn seeds produce more good sprouts.
They begin to plant seeds in the cells in the spring of April (more precisely, depending on the
temperature). The corn seedlings are in film greenhouses without additional heating, but they should
be watered with warm water. Fundazol is used as a disinfectant. One teaspoon per 10 litres of water
ensures excellent conservation of seeds and the destruction of pathogenic microbes in the soil. If
desired, you can also add a drop of potassium permanganate. Fertilizing the soil is carried out as
early as the fall, so it has time to fully saturate and prepare for spring planting. If the soil substrate is
moistened with a hydrogel or Aquasorb, the watering frequency is reduced by about four times.

5. How to help Corn grow to its full potential

a. Fertilizer
If we want to help the growth of our corn plants, after about two weeks we can distribute a pinch of
balanced mineral fertilizer, or some comfrey and nettle macerate. Add a natural vegetable fertilizer
when sowing or planting. To obtain a good fertilization of the flowers, sow several rows (even short)
side by side. To plant corn well, consider preparing the soil several weeks before sowing. Bring a
good bucket of compost per m2 and scratch to incorporate it into the soil. If it is not very rich, add a
dose of complete fertilizer for the vegetable garden (in the fall before sowing). A deep decomposing
soil allows a better development of the plant.

b. Pollination (block planting; several short rows)

For the corn to be pollinated there must be at least 2 plants, although sometimes it is possible to
pollinate with a single plant. The pollen shed by the male flowers and driven by the wind, is deposited
on the styles. These are receptive throughout their length, and because they are mucilaginous (wet
and sticky), they allow the adherence and germination of pollen. Each style can be colonized by
several pollen grains, but only one of them, after germinating, will penetrate the interior through its
pollen tube; it is elongated until it reaches the ovum and fertilizes it. Germination of a pollen grain
occurs, on average, a few minutes after it comes into contact with the style. On the other hand, from
the time the pollen germinates until the moment of fertilization, between 12 and 24 hours elapse.
Pollen release normally begins at the spikelet’s in the upper half of the central ear of the panicle, and
ends at the apical end of the lower lateral spikes; In each plant, the pollen release stage can last
between 7 and 10 days.

The maximum shedding of pollen in a plant occurs 3 to 4 days after the anthesis in the first flowers.
Under favourable conditions, a pollen grain remains viable for 18-24 hours. On an ear, the first styles
to appear through the bracts or enveloping leaves are those at the base; the appearance of styles in a
plant begins 1 to 2 days after pollen release from male flowers has begun. Each ear requires an
average of 4 to 5 days to complete the issuance of its styles; these, in turn, can achieve a daily growth
of 2.5 to 3.0 cm.

Although the amount of pollen produced by the plants is more than sufficient for the number of ovules
to be fertilized, it is frequent that failures occur in the production of grains, especially in the apical part
of the ears. In this sense, water deficiencies and genetic or environmental factors can be common
causes for pollination problems. Thus, in dry and hot conditions, or with a water deficit, styles can
dehydrate to such a level that their moisture content becomes insufficient for pollen germination and /
or for the growth of their pollen tube. Within a crop, on the other hand, plants do not achieve sufficient
homogeneity, initiating their emission of styles in a period that normally lasts for 10 days or more. In
this sense, the ears that start their style emission late can see their pollination significantly affected.
During the period of pollination and emission of styles, the complete development of the adventitious
roots and the maximum growth of the main root system are achieved.

6. Proper Care of the Plant

a. Watering
It requires risks that go from less to more and later to less. During the beginning of the crop you have
to water little, expanding the amounts of irrigation during the development of the plant, at this stage
the corn will need a lot of water, at the end of the crop the irrigation is reduced again so that the ears
grow fat. Corn needs a lot of water, especially during grain growth. Keep the soil constantly moist,
which can mean more frequent watering in hot weather. If your plants are not getting enough water,
the stem will wilt quickly. Grab him early on and he should straighten up. Avoid getting the stem wet
when you water, as this can interfere with pollination. A good method is to use drip lines which provide
a slow trickle of water for several hours 1-2 times a week.

b. Sunlight requirements
Corn likes sunny places, so choose a place in the vegetable garden that has plenty of sunlight. Try to
mark out a place without too many weeds, as the corn will have a hard time growing and making room
if it has to fight against them.

c. Providing Support (note: also comes from block planting multiple plants to
shield against wind)
Corn is vertical, not like a tomato plant, which is a horizontal vine that must be contrived to hike. Corn
even has slight prop roots at the end of the stalk to support it. On the other hand occasionally it is just
collapsed by external forces, such as porcupines as well as raccoons.

7. Harvesting, Preparing and Preserving

Corn harvesting takes place 70 days after sowing in the sweet corn variety, when the grains are milky.
And starting at 120 days in the popcorn variety, when the kernels are dry. For seed collection, corn
must have a glassy appearance (1 month after ripening). Subsequently, the ears are hung without
leaves for 1 or 2 more weeks to finish drying. All grains are selected except the small ones at the
ends. The sweet corn is a crop cycle very short and in some cases can be complete only 70 days
after sowing. This vegetable must be harvested immature to prevent the grains from losing flavour
and texture, just like zucchini. It is harvested in the summer months, between August and September:
precisely, the harvest begins 20 days after the formation of the beards on the cobs. The harvest takes
place, depending on the variety, from mid-July to mid-October. The plant should be dried out and a
white liquid should flow out when a grain is crushed under a fingernail. Only the ears are harvested,
the stem and the leaf remain in place. It is possible to freeze the ears for later tasting. Harvesting
begins in the fall, as needed, when the ears are well formed. The bristles have turned brown, the
grains have reached their final size, while being tender under the nail. Sweet corn is harvested 80 to
120 days after sowing depending on the earliness of the variety, the heat, the watering… The silks
then begin to brown. The grains take their colour; they should be well developed, but still tender. To
find out if they are ripe, take a few from an ear. Crushed, they should be slightly milky.

8. How to Save Corn Seeds

In order to retain corn seed all throughout the winter, you must permit it to dehydrate in the ground
several weeks longer than the remaining of the crop and at that moment air-dry it once more after
yield. Keep your corn seed in place when you yield you’re eating corn. Seed corn requires at least one
to two additional months in the ground beforehand it is harvested.

9. Common Pests and Diseases of Corn

Fairly frequent, attacks by wireworm larvae and scutigerella, 5-7 mm white "centipedes", on seedling
corn at the 10-12 leaf stage can cause severe damage. The fly larvae are common pests. Among
them, the oscinia is very present but causes serious damage only when the climatic conditions are
favourable to the insect and unfavourable to the culture. In contrast, geomyze is rarer but causes the
disappearance of affected plants between emergence and the 4-leaf stage. The period of
susceptibility to seedling maggot is similar. This pest is common during cold and wet periods. The
nematodes are dangerous for corn lifted its 10-leaf stage. By feeding on the roots, they weaken the
plant which will be reduced in size and yellowish. Long monocultures, light soils, and abundant rainfall
favour this pest. Only the rapid growth of young plants and crop rotation can limit the impacts. Corn is
susceptible to slugs from its 6-leaf emergence. It is the black and the gray, called Arion hortensis and
Deroceras reticulatum , respectively, that weaken and retard plant growth. High humidity, mild
temperatures, clumpy soils and the presence of crop residues on the surface favor their appearance.
The means of control are molluscicides and the preparation of a non-coarse soil by repeated
passages to destroy the eggs. The corn borer must be monitored in order to prevent its development
if it seems strongly present. Cutworms (Agrotis segetum (sedentary) and Agrotis ipsilon (migratory))
are frequent in soils which have just been worked in the south of the Loire.

Boring corn stalks, sesamia caterpillars weaken plants. The weight of the grains is reduced and in
severe cases the stems break which prevents its harvest. Defoliating moths often have little impact on
the crop except when the crop is under other stresses. Present throughout the country, aphids are all
the more numerous in straw producing areas. They mainly attack during flowering. Finally, maize is
susceptible to the common leafhopper Zygidinia scutellaris and the brown Laodelphax striatella
between the 2-3 leaf stage and respectively the grain filling and flowering. The first weakens the
leaves while the other transmits the dwarfism virus.