Yes, I know most vegetables are supposed to be green. But who can resist the mouth-watering flavor of just-picked sweet corn, so sweet you don't even have to add butter or salt? Home gardeners agree that the best corn flavor comes from home-grown ears fresh from the garden.
If you've never grown your own corn, try it this summer. Yes, you may be aware that corn is a space hog in the garden, and you also need to plant quite a bit to get a decent harvest. But don't let this prevent you from going for it. Go ahead and stagger your corn plantings so everything won't ripen at once. Try planting corn in short blocks rather than a long single row. The latter will greatly aid in the cross-pollination process, which is usually done by wind and gravity.
For small plantings of corn, sowing in "hills" is sometimes recommended. Hills are simply groups of four to eight seeds sown in a circle, with two inches between seeds. Space hills a few feet apart. For apartment dwellers, corn can even be grown in large containers like half wine barrels.
There are six major categories of corn, ranging from decorative types to multicolored Indian corn and even popping corn. However, as far as the home gardener is concerned, sweetness is the factor. Regarding sweet corn, there are three types. There are normal sugary (su), sugary enhanced (se) and supersweet (sh2). These types refer to the sugar content and sweet flavor in the kernels when mature.
For the new millennium, there are hybrids that combine two or even allthree of these factors into one. The advantages to the gardener are the higher sugar levels provide a sweet flavor, but with the ease of growing normal sugary (su) types. Look for these various types when shopping for seed and beware of the differences. Personally, I like my sweet corn supersweet, but people have different preferences.
After planting, water becomes the most important activity for good corn production. Deep water plants rather than sprinkle. Never irrigate using overhead sprinklers that can wet tassels and pollen. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation is best. Mulching with a two to four-inch layer of compost will also prevent evaporation.
Corn is also a heavy feeder and will quickly deplete soil nutrients. Always plant in good, well-draining soil. Go ahead and add compost, organic matter or manures to the planting mixture. Additional fertilizer or compost should be added when stalks are eight inches tall and again when tassels appear.
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