Overview:
Sweet corn is a sweet maize filled with complex carbohydrates and starches that digest slowly, fiber that assists with digestion and gut health, and small amounts of plant-based proteins. It also contains B vitamins (B9, B6) that support energy and cell health, as well as potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
How to grow:
Typically, sweet corn is directly seeded, but can be transplanted. It prefers the 6.0-6.8 pH range. For intensive spacing on 30” beds, do two rows with 10” in-row spacing. For field plantings, it’s recommended to do one row at 9” in-row spacing, and 30” between rows. Corn is wind-pollinated, so planting multiple rows or beds ensures better pollination. Corn requires six to eight hours of direct sun a day, and plenty of food, as these are heavy feeders. Weed around corn stalks carefully, as the roots grow close to the surface. For sweet corn, pick ears three weeks after the first silks appear, as they turn brown. Another way to know if it’s ready for harvest is the fingernail test: peel back a small part of the husk and pierce a kernel with your fingernail. A creamy, milky juice means it is ready. Watery juice means it is too early, and no juice means it is overripe.
Seasons to be grown:
Corn is planted in spring and summer, typically April through June, although in warmer southern climates a second planting in midsummer is possible. Spring-planted corn will be harvested in summer, while mid-summer plantings will be ready by early to mid-fall. To succession-plant corn, sow new seeds every two weeks.
Common pest pressure:
Corn rootworm is a larva that feeds on roots, causing lodging (leaning stalks) and reduced nutrient uptake. European corn borer is a caterpillar that tunnels into stalks, weakening the plant and introducing stalk rot. Stalk borer migrates from grassy weeds into young corn margins to bore into stems. Corn earworm feeds on silks and burrows directly into the tips of developing ears. Use Bt to control corn worm infestations.
Common disease pressure:
Corn diseases are mainly caused by fungi, bacteria, and environmental stress.
- Gray Leaf Spot: Creates long, rectangular gray-to-brown spots on leaves. It grows well in warm, wet weather.
- Northern Corn Leaf Blight: causes large, cigar-shaped green-gray lesions on the foliage.
- Common Rust: produces small, powdery brown bumps (pustules) on both sides of the leaves
- Stalk Rot: Fungi or bacteria attack roots and lower stalks. This makes plants weak and causes them to fall over (lodging).
- Ear Rot: Fungi infect the kernels during wet late-season weather, sometimes creating dangerous toxins.
To prevent these diseases, incorporate a proper crop rotation, select resistant varieties, and use safe fungicides like copper- and citric acid-based sprays.
Kerr Center Eventshttps://kerrcenter.com/events/
Get Local News!
