Corn Planting Summary

Types

• Sweet corn kernels can be yellow, white or bi-color. Three distinct types of each are available. "Normal" sweet corn contains moderate levels of sucrose. Sugars in normal sweet corn convert to starch rapidly after harvest, and it is best eaten soon after picking and husking. "Sugar-enhanced" sweet corn has a tender, creamy texture and has been genetically modified to produce a sweeter flavor. "Super-sweet," the sweetest of the sweet corns, is also a hybrid. It has a small kernel and a tough-skinned texture, which allows for a slower conversion of starch than the other types of corn, making it better suited for storage and shipping.

Maturation Time

• Different cultivars of corn mature at different rates. Some mature early in the season, in 60 to 80 days; some mature mid-season, in 70 to 90 days; and some mature late season, in 80 to 90 or more days. Take this into consideration when planting. To have corn throughout the season, plant an early, mid-season and late season variety, or plant one variety in successive two-week plantings. Examples of early varieties include Butter & Sugar, Quick Silver, Maple Sweet and Sundance. Mid-season varieties include Alpine, Bodacious, Incredible and Dazzle. Frontier, Sweetie82 and Biqueen are examples of late-season corn varieties.

Soil Preparation

• Corn does best in full sun in a loamy, well-drained soil that has a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Test the soil to determine its lime and fertilizer needs. If lime is required, it can be tilled into the ground two to three months prior to planting. Add compost or rotted mature to the soil the previous fall for a rich and fertile soil. Till the soil in the spring before planting to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

Planting

• Plant corn two weeks after the last average killing frost when soil temperature is at least 60 degrees F. Plant two to three seeds spaced 8 to 15 inches apart in rows spaced 30 to 36 inches apart. Plant the seeds 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep. Supersweet varieties must be isolated from other varieties by at least 25 feet while pollinating.