How to Grow Sweet Corn in East Texas

For a summertime staple, no garden is complete without corn. Sweet corn comes in three types: normal sugary, sugary enhancer and supersweet. East Texas gardeners can plant any of these types of sweet corn, although many gardeners prefer the sugary enhancer, which combines sweetness with a creamy texture. Gardeners should choose the location for corn carefully, for growing plants may wind up shading other areas of the garden.

pH kit
Lime (optional)
Sulfur (optional)
Shovel
Corn seed
Water
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until soil temperatures reach 50 degrees F. Corn seed will germinate poorly if planted in colder soils.
- 2
  Text your soil pH using a home test kit. Most kits require you to collect and moisten a small soil sample, then touch a color-change strip to the soil. Check the pH by finding the corresponding value on the pH chart.
- 3
  Amend your soil by adding lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower it, using The Garden Helper's guidelines. Corn prefers a pH of 6.0 to 7.0.
- 4
  Prepare the bed for planting corn by turning over the soil with a shovel and removing any weeds or rocks.
- 5
  Dig a furro 1/2 inch deep. Lay corn seeds in the furrow, leaving 9 to 12 inches between seeds. Space each furrow 30 to 36 inches apart. Cover the seeds with soil, and water the newly planted corn seeds until the ground becomes saturated.
- 6
  Water the plants whenever the soil becomes dry to the touch.
- 7
  Fertilize the corn plants when they are 12 to 18 inches tall by scattering a dry fertilizer over the soil, then watering to work it into the ground. In East Texas corn needs a fertilizer that provides both nitrogen and potassium.
- 8
  Harvest the corn when the silks dry out. Most corn varieties mature in 69 to 95 days, according to the University of Illinois.

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