How to Thin Corn Plants

Sweet corn thrives in a location that receives six to eight hours of sunlight each day. Heavy feeders, sweet corn prefers a balanced starter fertilizer at planting time, side dressing at 6 to 8 inches and a final application of fertilizer as it begins to tassel. Grow corn in blocks of three to four rows, as it is wind pollinated and does not perform well if grown in one long row. Initially, seeds may be sown closer than recommended to ensure good germination, but plants must be thinned to the recommended spacing later to allow room for plants to grow properly.

Things You'll Need

• Garden clippers

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Plant corn seeds 4 inches apart in rows spaced at 30- to 36-inch intervals or four seeds in hills spaced 24 inches apart.

   • 2

     Thin corn in rows to one plant every 10 to 12 inches, or two plants per hill when the plants are 4 inches tall.

   • 3

     Clip the weakest plants at the ground level. Pulling plants from the roots disturbs the nearby plants.