Just planted sweet corn for the first time

Yeah, give up on it and buy it from the store. I grew corn one year and that was enough for me. You'll be lucky to get 2 ears per plant and you better hope you don't get a lot of strong winds while it is growing because it's easily blown over.

The year I grew it the local Rouses was putting fresh corn on sale 5 ears for $1, so it was hardly worth the effort to grow.


If you insist on growing it, plant pole bean seeds by the corn stalks so the beans can climb on the stalks. That is what is called "Companion Planting". The beans naturally add nitrogen to the soil for the corn to use.


You could also do what is called the "Three Sisters Method" of planting. Plant squash, corn and pole beans together. Plant the corn first so it gets to growing its stalks, then the pole beans and squash. The beans will climb the stalks and add nitrogen to the soil and the squash will grow with its large leaves to help keep the ground shaded helping to keep weeds under control and shade the ground to help with moisture retention.

This is a method Native Americans used and it's tried and true.

In my experience there’s such a necessity for chemicals for successful production that it wasn’t worth it. Corn is cheap and we don’t eat it much to begin with.

My wife’s grandfather father planted a small patch of sweet corn behind his house. Despite being surrounded by 70+ acres of field corn, coons wiped him out overnight. He tried an electric fence thereafter with some success, but eventually gave it to the coons.

When it gets knee high throw some nitrogen at the base right before a rain, then when it starts to tassel do it again.

Apply 3 cups of 8-8-8 per 20 ft of row in a “trench” about 2-3” to side of the planted furrow and about 2-3” deep and cover now. Then apply 2 cups of same when about a foot tall and again when about 2 ft tall. When starts tasseling, apply bifenthrin every 2-3 days to control corn ear worm. It will also control stink bugs and other pests during the season. Short lived and broken down by sun. Will control pollinators in rest of garden so apply late in evening.

Yes it’s best to plant corn in blocks and not long rows for this reason. Silk is most receptive to pollen in first 10 or so days after emergence. Need to make sure plants are well watered during this time for that reason.