How to Grow Maize

Maize is a wild strain of our modern corn. It has the same cultivation requirements and produces a similarly eared vegetable. Maize is slightly inferior in taste and is most commonly used for silage for animals. Maize is an easy crop to grow if you have adequate irrigation, organic rich soil and high nitrogen. Sow maize when soil temperatures reach 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but in areas with short growing seasons it is best to start it inside. Corn and maize grow and pollinate best in blocks, but if you are short of space you can plant them in rows. Choose a variety that is resistant to the many fungal diseases to which corn is prone.

Rake
Tiller
Compost
Maize seeds
Water
Fertilizer (12-8-8)
Mulch

Instructions

- 1
  Weed a sunny garden bed and rake out any debris or impediments. Till the soil to a depth of 12 inches and incorporate 5 inches of compost at the same time. Rake the bed to a smooth, even state.
- 2
  Push the maize seeds into the soil 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Space the seeds 12 to 15 inches apart in multiple rows of 36 inches apart. Plant three seeds per area to ensure germination, and thin them to the largest after they sprout.
- 3
  Water until the top 4 inches of soil are wet immediately after planting and as the seedlings grow. Keep the bed evenly moist to a depth of 12 inches once the plants are 2 feet high.
- 4
  Side dress with a high nitrogen fertilizer like 12-8-8 after the plants are 12 to 18 inches tall. Provide 3 inches of organic mulch between the rows to minimize weeds.
- 5
  Harvest the ears when the inside juices run milky. Snap off the ears as needed by twisting them off the stalk quickly.

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