How to Grow Corn in Raised Beds

Construct your raised garden bed for growing corn in an east-west direction so that, as the corn grows, one row of corn will not shade the row next to it. The raised beds should be located in an area that will receive at least four to six hours of direct sunlight a day for your corn plants to thrive. Plan the width of your raised beds for corn to accommodate a minimum of four corn rows, 12 inches apart. The length can be as long as you wish.

Amend the soil for the raised beds with organic material or peat to create better drainage and additional nutrients. This should be a 50-50 mixture of existing soil and organic material. For heavy-clay existing soil, the formula should be one-third existing soil, one-third organic material, and one-third coarse sand to help with opening up the soil and improving drainage. Smooth the soil surface in the raised beds after you finish amending the soil.

Plant your corn seeds 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep, and 3 to 4 inches apart, in straight, long rows. There should be a minimum of four planted corn rows, 12 to 18 inches apart in the raised bed. Thin the germinated seedlings to 6 to 8 inches apart when they are 3 to 4 inches tall. Raised bed corn growing has the advantage of allowing the planting of corn close together because of controlled watering and feeding. By doing so, when your corn plants are 2 feet and taller, they will create shade on the soil that will be detrimental to weed growth.

Water your newly planted corn seeds to keep the soil moist while the seeds germinate. Because soil in raised beds warms more, and the amended soil drains better, monitoring the soil for moisture must be done frequently, and daily during periods of drought or hot temperature. Corn requires moist soil to grow and thrive.

Apply a general vegetable fertilizer of equal mixture, like 12-12-12, by working it into the soil next to the corn row once the corn plants have grown 4 to 6 inches high. Follow the directions on the package. Later in the growing season, side-dress by scratching well rotted manure into the soil next to the corn rows. As the ears of corn develop, corn plants need extra nitrogen, which the rotted manure will provide.