A warm-season annual, sweet corn. It is one of the most common crops grown in backyard gardens and commercial plantings. Because of its juicy, opulent, and sweet-tasting kernels, sweet corn is farmed. You can consume corn roasted, boiled, or steam-cooked.
Where Can Sweet Corn Be Planted?
Grow corn in broad sunlight. The greatest soil for corn is one that is loose, well-worked, well-drained, and has a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Before planting, if necessary, adjust the pH of the soil.
Planting Period:
It is ideal to plant corn, a delicate warm-season annual, when the soil temperature reaches 60°F (16°C), often two to three weeks after the last spring frost. In soil as cold as 50°F, corn will germinate, although it will take longer.
Corn is unlikely to grow well in chilly, soggy soil. 3 weeks following the spring’s last frost is when outdoor corn seed sowing can start. Check the seed packaging to discover if the variety you wish to cultivate is cold-tolerant.
Planting and spacing :
Corn should be sown 1 to 112 inches (2.5 cm) deep. Plant disease-free seed. Instead of one long row, plant seeds 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm) apart in short, adjacent rows to make a block. Several plants can also be grown on inverted hills or mounds. Pollination will be more likely if you plant in groups or clumps.
Preventing competition for water and nutrients through early weeding of the maize. Corn has shallow roots, so don’t cultivate them deeply. After pollination, cover corn ears with paper bags to keep birds away.
If stems appear purple, phosphorous is probably the cause.
Watering: Corn needs an even distribution of moisture to prevent withering because it grows quickly in hot conditions. Keep corn uniformly hydrated and water it frequently. The number of kernels on a cob may be decreased by water-hitting tassels at the time of pollination, thus avoiding overhead watering, especially when tassels first develop. Corn that is under water stress will result in ears with missing kernels. To determine whether you need to water, insert your index finger into the ground; if it comes out dry, you need to.
Fertilizing: Corn requires a lot of nitrogen since it feeds heavily. Before planting in the fall, add aged compost and aged manure to planting areas.
Depending on the variety and mild conditions, corn might take anywhere between 60 and 100 days to mature. The average maize plant yields two ears per stalk; certain cultivars yield more.
When yellow silks turn dark brown and the kernels are soft and plump, corn is ready for harvest. You can test this by pressing down on a kernel with your fingernail. If the juice is milky rather than clear, the ear is ready for picking.
Harvest:
The harvest often follows the appearance of the silks by 20 days. Grab the ear of corn and quickly twist it downward to harvest it. Corn is best harvested in the morning while the kernels are moist, and to maintain sweetness, ears should be immediately submerged in cold water.
Storing and preserving sweet corn.
The freshest form of corn is preferred. Wait to cook sweet corn before removing the husks.
– Corn can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 4 days; simply wrap the husk in wet paper towels if it hasn’t been opened.
– You may freeze corn on the cob that has been blanched for 3 to 6 months.
