What Does It Mean to Plant Corn in Blocks?

Corn Pollination

• Pollination is a tricky business for corn plants. The male and female flowers exist on each plant, but in different locations. The tassel at the top of the corn plant is made up of the male flowers, which produce the pollen. The female flower develops where the leaves and stem meet, forming "silks" inside the husks. Each silk is a tube designed to receive pollen, and it is attached to a single corn kernel. When wind stirs the tassel, pollen falls from the tassel onto the silks, which transports the pollen to the kernels. Only if every kernel is pollinated does an ear of corn fully develop. Having other corn plants nearby increases the chance that pollen reaches each silk.

Cross-pollination

• Cross-pollination -- pollination from the tassel of one plant to the silks of another -- is a benefit when all the corn plants are the same variety. When you plant more than one variety in the same vicinity and they tassel at the same time, though, cross-pollination can create a decrease in the sugar content of sweet corn and produce other unexpected results. If you plan to grow multiple varieties, choose cultivars with different maturity periods or space the blocks of corn plants at least 250 feet apart.

Succession Planting

• To extend the harvest in a small garden, plant blocks of corn every seven to 14 days until early June. An easy way to manage succession planting involves preparing the soil and marking out a plot large enough to accommodate 16 rows. Divide the area into four quarters and plant the first block. Wait two weeks and plant the second section. Repeat the process two more times, and you'll have four harvest dates, one to two weeks apart.

Raised Beds

• Raised beds can work well for planting corn in blocks. Sow the seeds in rows across the width of the bed, spacing the seeds 9 to 12 inches apart and the rows 30 inches apart. Another method involves using two raised beds positioned next to each other. Plant two rows the length of each raised bed for a total of four rows.