How to grow corn? Did you know that there are around 90 million acres of land around the world that’s dedicated to planting corn? Here’s more: Antarctica is the only continent that doesn’t produce corn, and that’s because of its extremely cold temperatures and harsh conditions.
Corn is considered a staple plant as it provides around 3,500 different uses for people. Besides its health benefits like controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, improving eye health, and reducing risk of diabetes and heart diseases, it’s also widely utilized in non-food products like fireworks, paint, soap, and cosmetics.
If you’re wondering why it’s still important to learn how to grow corn if it has a large supply that you can always get from, here’s the straightforward answer: most corns are genetically modified and full of pesticides. And although you can lessen the amount of pesticides on corn by washing and cooking it, it’s much better to grow one yourself so that you know exactly what’s in it.
How to Plant Corn by Hand
First off, you need a fair amount of space in planting corn. It’s not an indoor plant as it grows really tall and needs full sunlight in order to grow well. If you’re wondering how to plant corn by hand, all you have to do is to have at least a 5×5-foot space in your yard and place the seeds one and a half inches deep into the soil, and about a foot apart from each other.
Your soil has to be loose and well-draining. It has to have a pH level of between 5.8 and 6.8. Tilling your soil helps break down those that have clumped together and allows for you to have looser soil. Compost will also help in providing nutrients for your growing plant and keeping the moisture locked in
The average temperature that you should maintain in growing corn is 60ºF – 80ºF (15.5ºC – 26.7ºC). It also has to receive at least six hours of full sunlight per day.
Corn grows fast in warm weather since it’s a warm season crop, but don’t forget to water it regularly to make sure the soil stays moist and not too dry or too wet.
It takes a corn plant about two to three months to be ready for harvest.
Growing Corn Stages
To walk you through the process better, here are the growing corn stages to guide you.
There are two different categories for corn growth. The first one is the vegetative growth stage. This is further broken down into three stages, namely: emergence stage, leaf stage, and tasseling stage.
Vegetative Growth Stage
In the emergence stage, growth happens below the soil surface. This is where the seeds develop roots and protects it from potential late frost. In the leaf stage, leaves start to grow on the plant. Gardeners or farmers count the number of leaves that appear on the plant and adjust general plant care depending on its needs. Lastly, the tasseling stage is when the corn plant has reached its full height. This is also where it starts to shed pollen.
Reproductive Stage
The second category in growing corn stages is the reproductive stage. This is further narrowed down to six different stages such as silking, blister, milk, dough, dent, and maturity.
Silking is where you can see silk outside the husk of the plant. The silk captures falling pollen. The next stage is blister. This is where kernels start to form. At this stage they look like blisters because they’re white in color and have liquid inside. The next stage is milk, where the kernel turns yellow on the outside and have milky fluid inside. At the dough stage, the kernel’s fluid becomes thick and dough-like. It may appear as though the cob is colored pink or red at this stage. The dent stage is rightfully called as such because this is where the kernels start to form dents. Lastly, at the maturity stage, the kernels’ milk line is no longer evident, and the kernels attain maximum dry weight.
And that’s it! To harvest an ear of corn, simply grab it, twist and pull it downwards, and finally snap it off the stalk. Some corn plants grow a second ear at a later date, while some also stop after the first ear.
Check my other post on cornflowers.
Growing Corn Problems
Most growing corn problems are caused by pests and fungi feeding on your corn plant and hindering its growth. The best thing to do to prevent these from happening is to make sure to check your plants regularly for weeds and organisms that might be detrimental to their growth.
Another common problem is soil conditions. Having cold or damp soil may cause your plant to not even emerge from the ground. To remedy this, wait for the soil to be warm enough for planting, and add compost and fertilizer to make sure it provides enough nutrients for your plant.
If the edges of your leaves roll inwards, it’s probably because your soil isn’t moist enough. Once your plant grows ears, make sure to water it every two or three hours to keep the soil moist. Mulch also helps keep lock in the moisture in the soil.
Don’t be overwhelmed by these problems on how to grow corn, though. Following this simple guide would already help you a lot in growing your own plant.
Growing corn on your own isn’t that hard, even if you’re a beginner. Just make sure to have enough space and good soil as these would really help you grow your plant more smoothly. Regularly checking soil moisture and temperature prevents related problems from coming up. And although you can’t control weeds and pests, regularly checking on your plant and cleaning the soil helps you tackle problems as soon as they come up.
Last fun fact for today: Did you know that an ear of corn has an average of 800 kernels in 16 rows, and that these rows almost always have an even number of kernels? You might want to really get into how to grow corn now and find out for yourself.
Watching your plant grow from a seed to a harvestable crop is one of the most rewarding things you could ever experience. And just in case you need a little more push, plants also help improve your mood and reduce stress!
Check my other article on a sustainable farming.
