Growing Sweet corn, also corn,maize

Zea mays, var. rugosa : Poaceae / the grass family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                S S S S
T                 T T T
                P P P  

(Best months for growing Sweet corn in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed

September: sow after risk of frost

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 11-14 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): All beans, cucumber, melons, peas, pumpkin, squash, amaranth
  • Avoid growing close to: Celery.

Your comments and tips

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17 Jan 10, beth (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted my sweet corn in late November and it is currently about 1.5 metres high. I only had a minimal ammount of seeds so i planted them in a pot. I only have 1 stalk in the pot. Will it still be possible for my sweet corn to germinate and grow corn cobs because I only have the one stalk? If so how much corn can I expect to get from one stalk?
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16 Jan 10, ron (Australia - temperate climate)
plant corn close together to promote cross pollination
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09 Jan 10, Dez of Queensland (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have planted two lots of sweet corn, both from the same seedling batch, Five where planted in my Aquaponic system, and three where planted in wicking garden system. The Corn in the aquaponic system is a far greener (Quite dark) and stronger plant, with two heads of corn on each stem, where as the corn in the wicking system, has only one corn head per plant and not as strong. Photos can be emailed on request: [email protected]
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08 Jan 10, po (Australia - temperate climate)
Corn missing kernels: I believe this has to do with uneven pollination. Hand pollination could help. Corn stalk shade: My cats have discovered the best patch in the garden is under the corn stalks. Intercropping with corn: Second word on shade, last year i tried intercropping corn with beans, but it was a big flop for the beans: they grew but didn't produce any beans. The nitrogen along their roots may have helped the corn though as the corn grew brilliantly. This year i will experiment with another intercrop and space the corn more broadly--perhaps a leafy veg. Hot weather: Man, it's hot. Last year I harvested my corn after a spate of very hot weather and some of the kernels had started to shrivel. The taste was also clearly past prime compared to corn harvested just before the heat. Won't be doing that again.
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05 Jan 10, Karlos (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have exactly 18 healthy stalks in 2 rows in my garden, each stalk is growing 2-3 ears and has 2 offsiders growing from the root also with 1 ear each. The thing i'm curious about is there are quarter cob size amounts of kernals growning on the very top tip of my stalks.. I think my soil is over fertile...only started them from 10cm seedlings 6 1/2 weeks ago
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02 Jan 10, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hey Warren, You can hill more soil/compost around your corn plants and those extra roots will help them feed better. Corn are heavy feeders and they respond well to getting extra layers of soil/compost on top.
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01 Jan 10, Deb (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I grow corn from corn cobs? Do I have to dry out the kernals?
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30 Dec 09, DD (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
1st time growing corn and have just walked out and picked 8 cobs for NY eve night. Tassles dried down to the cob sheath. Some of my plants are only 1m upto 1.5m. About 12 in total. I have cobs of varing size and most are carrying missed kernels. Up to 50% of cob. Im putting this down to missed germination or the 40c heat wave for that week in early Dec. All taste fantastically sweet. Have left stalks in and have noticed some side shoots starting to go to run to flower only 0.5m from the ground. Will let it go and see what results. Enjoying the experiment who cares if they are small its still a feed. Cheers and happy NY D :)
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24 Dec 09, warren smith (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello My sweet corn is growing very well and developing kernels already. Trouble is that now they are starting to fall over as the root system has come up out of the ground. Have I done something wrong in the process? Should I stake them? Regards Warren
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21 Dec 09, Ray (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
my sweet corn are going gang busters. 7 stalks & over 20 corn.
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Showing 281 - 290 of 328 comments
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Perth: This impressive crop does take up a bit of room but it's well worth it; the sweetness of fresh picked home-grown sweet corn is hard to beat. Plant from September through to January. Preparing the site Choose a sunny site that’s protected from strong winds. Sweet corn is a hungry crop so it’s important to enrich your soil before planting. Add a plenty of aged manure and a handful of blood & bone per square metre and fork it in well. Sweet corn will do well in a bed that’s previously grown healthy peas or beans. In the right conditions, each plant will usually produce 2 ears of corn. Planting Plant seedlings or seeds (ensure seeds are fresh). Space 30cm apart and plant in blocks rather than a single long row. Planting in blocks assists pollination which is essential for the development of kernels. Plant early and late varieties in separate blocks for a longer season. Water seeds well after planting then sparingly until germination occurs as the seeds can rot easily. When the stalks are about 20cm high, mound the soil up against the stalks. This process, called hilling, encourages more roots to grow which will help stabilise the plant during windy conditions. You can also achieve the same result by planting the seeds in a furrow and backfilling as the plants grow. Watering and fertilising Once the plants are well underway it’s important to ensure an adequate moisture level, especially since the plants will be at their peak of fruit production over the hot months. Drip irrigate if possible and mulch well to retain moisture. As soon as the tassel appears at the top of the plant, give the soil a boost with a granular fertiliser that’s high in nitrogen. Insufficient pollination results in ears of corn with lots of missing kernels. Planting sweet corn in one long single row can result in most of the pollen being blown away, which is why gardeners plant corn in blocks instead.Can be hand pollinated by cutting off a pollen-laden tassel each day and gently brushing over the silks . Sweet corn is ready to pick 2-3 weeks after pollination and it's important to keep up the water during this time.

- Mike

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