Sweet Corn....the yum of summer!

 Our Sweet Corn is almost ready....a couple of days. We are ALWAYS behind everyone else, I mean do they plant in February? Sweet Corn is a beloved summer vegetable, but doesn't grow well in most home gardens, and not worth the space. At Earthworks, we don't grow much corn, about 1 acres worth scattered in plots here and there. When I had my 40 acre produce farm by Rochester, we had 10 acres in corn. Yes, feeling cramped, never enough space!

What you need to know about growing sweet corn.

• seed must be planted in a block, minimum of 10 x 10. (so, 4-5 rows across, 10 ft. long)
• corn is wind pollinated, hence the 'block' planting
• each strand of silk is attached to a potential kernel of corn
• each strand must receive pollen from the tassel to develop the kernel (empty spaces on a cob indicate no pollination)
• the silk is the female inflorescence,and the tassel is the males
• some corn may require isolation of 100 ft or more from other corn, check before you buy
• soil should be warmed up for most varieites to about 55 degrees
• corn likes to be weeded and watered twice a week if no rain falls.
• usually about 2 weeks from full silk until picking cobs.
• check for ripeness when silk is all browning, pull back part of the husk to see if kernels are filled out. if not wait a few days 
• you should harvest 1 -2 quality size cobs per plant, followed by some smaller ones
• there are several insect pests that get into corn, buy varieties that claim to have a 'tight tip' as they are less likely to have insect issues. The adult insect will not see that cob as a friendly place to lay eggs.
• racoons and deer also love it.
• sweet corn is a heavy nutrient feeder, so fertilize it with a balanced mix 10-10-10 or a 20-20-20.
• follow sweet corn plots the next year with peas or legumes that actually manufacture nitrogen back into the soil.