Do You Plant a Corn Root Facing Up or Down?

Soil Preparation

• Corn grows best in soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.4. Prepare the soil for corn planting by overturning dirt at least 6 inches. The Purdue University horticulture department suggests using 3 to 4 lbs. of fertilizer of a 12-12-12 mix per 100 square feet of soil for corn.

Mound Planting

• In mound planting, place five or six seeds, corn root tip down, in a slightly mounded hill. After the seeds pop up as small corn plants, thin to three plants per mound.

Row Planting

• When planting corn in rows, stagger corn seeds, root tip down, approximately 8 to 10 inches apart. Heavy soil calls for planting the kernels root tip down at a depth of 1 inch. Lighter sandy soils require a depth of 2 inches. Space rows 2 to 3 feet apart.