Planting Depth for Ambrosia Sweet Corn

Planting Depth

• Some gardeners build small mounds or hills of soil in which to plant corn. Long rows of mounded soil may also be used for sowing corn seeds. Seeds may even be sown on tilled, flat soil. No matter the planting method, always measure the planting depth from the highest point of the soil surface going downward.

Dry Soil

• Check the soil moisture and temperature before planting ambrosia sweet corn. It must not be planted until soil has warmed to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Frost damages the corn, which ultimately affects the number of ears you harvest at the end of the growing season. Take a handful of soil and squeeze it in your fist to test its moistness. If the soil does not hold together well and crumbles easily when you open your hand, it's dry. When soil is warm and dry, place the seeds 1 to 1/2 inches deep into the soil.

Wet Soil

• If soil holds together after you've squeezed it in your fist, it's moist or wet. When soil is cool and moist to the touch, bury the seeds 1/2 inch deep. Plant at least two rows of ambrosia sweet corn to ensure adequate pollination and ear production. If the crop is kept healthy, each stalk will produce one ear of corn. Do not plant ambrosia sweet corn near other corn varieties to prevent cross-pollination that may affect the taste of your ears. Sweet corn that becomes pollinated by other types does not taste as sweet, developing a starchy taste instead. Ambrosia sweet corn, which is white, also looks different if pollinated by yellow corn, but this may not affect the taste.

Harvest

• When planted correctly, ambrosia sweet corn will come to full maturity in approximately 75 days. Ears of corn are ripe when the outer husk turns brown and silky in texture. Kernels, when squeezed, produce a faintly milky-looking juice when the corn is ripe. The milk stage lasts for a matter of days, so it's essential to harvest corn quickly. Harvest by getting a firm hold on the ear and twisting gently while pulling downward to snap it off the stalk.