Growing Sweet Corn

Nothing compares to harvesting your own fresh corn on the cob during summer. Sweet Corn is a type of grass whose ancestor is teosinte. Corn or maize is the more commercial strain, where sweet corn obviously is sweeter. Corn is a shallow rooted hungry feeder requiring ample moisture. Either light or heavy well drained soils are suitable.

Collect and dry your own seed from a non-hybrid variety or purchase seed from a reputable source. In temperate or sub-tropical climates plant seed late Spring to mid-summer. Plant in clumped rows rather than single rows to ensure adequate pollination.

Plant corn in car tires during winter or to avoid a late frost. Place a tyre with others around it on the ground. Add compost or potting mix to each tyre. As the plants grow keep adding more tyres for support, so long as their upper foliage shows above the top.

Plant corn in trenches during hot dry summers. This not only supports the plants but also holds irrigation water allowing the plants to be kept moist. Dig a spade width trench. Line the bottom half with compost. Plant seed 30cm apart. Cover with a little compost. Fill in the trench with sand. Begin to mulch the corn as it sprouts above ground level.

Corn seems to grow well if planted with beans. Predator numbers seem to increase for both plants. Corn grows well with cucumbers, but for some reason the cucumbers fall victim to powdery mildew easier. The old Mexican companion planting method of corn and pumpkins suppresses weeds. The combination confuses pests. Cotton and sesame grow commercially with corn to attract predators to control budworm pest. Peanuts and corn increase the number of spiders. Corn are hungry feeders loving plenty of mulch and liquid manure. Feed weekly until the tassels appear and then stop.

Corn seed stores easily. Leave until the sheath around the cob dries and the ears are hard and a rich yellow. Open-pollinated seed is initially non-hybridised, but it may become contaminated by pollen up to 500 metres away. Cover with paper bags to avoid this problem.

Harvest corn when the tassels die and the cobs stands out from the stem at 30 degrees. Examine maturity by opening the top of the cob and pressing the ears. If ears are soft and a milky white juice exudes, the corn is mature. Cobs left too long and the ears will toughen. Pick cobs by twisting them downward.