How to Plant Corn in North Georgia

Corn is a popular home garden crop in the United States, and grows well in areas like Georgia, where summers are hot and long enough for multiple corn plantings. This crop requires up to 80 to 90 days of warmth, sun, nutrition and generous moisture to come to maturity, and can take quite a bit of space for a full harvest. In areas like north Georgia, summers are a bit shorter so plant your corn early and give it a full summer of growing time for your summer and fall harvest.

Quick-draining soil
Organic compost
Shovel or garden fork
Fertilizer
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Plant corn in mid-April in most of north Georgia, after the frost lifts. Corn is not frost tolerant, and will fail if you get it in the ground too early. The last frost dates in this region range from early April to late May. Don't plant the corn until two weeks after your last frost.
- 2
  Find a site that gets full sun for eight to 10 hours every day, and drains quickly after any rain. Corn won't grow, bloom or bear fruit if it grows in shade or standing water. Make sure that any site gives you at least 6 to 9 square feet of growing space.
- 3
  Amend the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches a day or two before your planting, to give the soil time to settle in. Dig up 4 to 6 inches of soil, then mix in 2 inches of organic compost for nutrition and 1 inch of quick-draining soil for drainage. Add 12-12-12 fertilizer to the top 2 to 3 inches of soil.
- 4
  Plant corn seeds 1 inch deep at every 8 to 12 inches in the row. Leave 3 feet between rows and plant at least two rows to ensure wind pollination.
- 5
  Mulch the corn filed with 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch to maintain good soil moisture and to discourage weed growth. Water the corn with 6 inches of water every week to keep the soil moist.

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