Sweet Corn
Zea mays convar. saccharata
Sow outdoors 1 week after your last spring frost. Space plants 8 in (20 cm) apart.
Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Direct Sow
From seedRecommended- Sow outdoors1 week after your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 75 days after sowing
Growing sweet corn
- Spacing in the row
- 8 in (20 cm)
- Between rows
- 30 in (76 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1-2 inches
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Soil
- Well-drained, rich in organic matter
- Germination
- 4-10 days at 60-95°F
- Harvest season
- Summer
- Mature height
- 5-8 feet
- Life cycle
- Annual
Plant in blocks of at least four rows for optimal wind pollination.
Watering. Consistent moisture, especially during tasseling and silking stages. Requires 1 inch of water per week.
Pumpkin
Squash
Cucumber
Pea
Potato
Borage
Dill
Tomato
CabbageFeeding
- Seedlings
- Not typically required if soil is rich. If soil is poor, apply a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer.
- Growing
- Side-dress with high-nitrogen fertilizer (e.g., 21-0-0) when plants are knee-high. Apply balanced fertilizer at tasseling.
- Flowering and fruiting
- Balanced fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) during the reproductive stage.
- How often
- At planting, then twice during the season: side-dress at knee-high and again at tasseling.
- Note
- Sweet corn is a heavy feeder. Maintain adequate nitrogen for vegetative growth and balanced nutrients for ear development.
Your sweet corn, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.