Sweet Corn Planting Techniques

Native American

• Native American gardeners planted corn together with two other crops: beans and squash. This planting technique is called Thee Sisters Planting. Native American lore teaches that by planting these three crops together, weeding is lessened, and sometimes not needed. By fertilizing each spring before planting, this particular combination of vegetables also helps keep the soil from becoming exhausted from overuse. The general planting order is as follows:

  1. In early June, or when night temperatures are around 50 degrees, fertilize the soil.
  2. Make mounds for the corn seeds 18 inches in diameter, five feet apart.
  3. Plant four corn seeds in each mound.
  4. Make a minimum of three rows; mounds in subsequent rows should be centered between mounds in the previous row.
  5. Plant four bean seeds in the 18-inch mounds about three inches from the corn.
  6. Plant three squash seeds in the 18-inch mound to make a triangle.

Intensive Gardening

• Corn can be grown in an intensive garden as long as it is rotated with other crops that will help replenish the soil in subsequent years. Another intensive gardening technique is to plant the corn with another crop that will help return nutrients used by the corn to the soil. For example, planting peas between your corn rows will help restore nitrogen levels in the soil. Because the corn matures faster than the peas, the corn will be ready and harvested just before the peas need the space previously occupied by the corn. Other crops that do well with corn are cabbage, lettuce, melons, beans, squash, cucumbers and potatoes.

General Planting

• Corn planted using general techniques and not planted using intensive gardening techniques or plant affinity techniques such as The Three Sisters should be planted as follows:

  1. Loosen the soil 12 to 15 inches below the surface.
  2. Fertilize the soil with two to four inches of compost or cow manure.
  3. Plant the corn in rows two to four feet apart with each plant six to eight inches apart. Seeds should be sown 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches deep.