These easy Corn Gardening Tips and Tricks are just what your backyard crop of corn needs!
Are you wondering how to grow corn at home? You’ve just hit the jackpot with this HUGE collection of tried and true Corn Gardening Tips and Tricks!
There’s nothing as delicious as fresh homegrown corn. Seriously… I look forward to fresh corn on the cob every year! YUM! Now growing your own corn is easier than you might think! Use these creative tips and tricks to ensure a plump juicy crop of fresh corn this year!
You may be wondering… is corn hard to grow? And I promise… it’s easier than you think!
From the best fertilizer for growing corn to how many hours of sun your corn needs, and spacing when planting to common problems to avoid, here’s everything you need to know to get started…
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Corn Gardening Tips and Tricks
Patti said: “Fertilizer is key – and for some crazy reason, you need to plant a minimum of 3 rows. They don’t have to be LONG rows, but there’s something true about needing the corn in 3 rows. Also, don’t replant in exactly the same place the next year. Crops need to be rotated. I grew up on a farm and still plant a little garden every year now that I no longer live on a farm.”
Amber said: “Work a good nitrogen fertilizer like Fish Bone Meal into the soil before planting, and side dress again when the stalks begin to tassel. Mulch well, keep weeds pulled, keep soil moisture as consistent as possible, and plant in full sun. Make sure the soil is warm before planting.”
Fish Bone Meal
Tanya said: “WATER, lots of water!”
Frugal Tip: Skip the watering can, and make your own budget-friendly watering jug! It’s quick, easy, and works like a charm!
DIY Milk Jug Watering Can
Amy said: “Water, water, water. Full sun, good drainage. Consider sowing a cover crop the winter prior to planting. Definitely consider companion planting.”
Tammy said: “It’s best to use crop rotation. Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch should provide much needed nitrogen for the corn. You can also use the three sisters method. Plant Beans and Pumpkins between the rows. I hope this helps.”
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Debi said: “Grow it with green beans (they climb the stalks and aerate the roots) and squash (keeps away bugs and weeds). This was called the three sisters method, because they did better together.”
Marie said: “Have at least 16 stalks, preferably in a square formation. Also give your corn lots of water!”
Beth said: “The main tip I would give is plant multiple short rows together, rather than, say, two long rows. They need to be kind of in a square-ish formation (as someone else mentioned) to best pollinate with each other. I learned this the hard way.”
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Emma said: “All of my info is tried and true. Handed down generations.
1) Hoe out your rows. You will need at least 4 for good pollination.
2) Your mini trench needs to be about 3 or 4 inches deep.
3) Sprinkle fertilizer down your row. I use 10-10-10 Fertilizer.
4) Walk down your rows dropping 3 seed every foot step or so. Then lightly cover with your dirt.
5) If you don’t have bees for pollinating, just shake the stalks when they start tosseling. That ensures each kernel is pollinated and will be full ears.
6) Don’t use sevens dust, it will kill bees.
7) Plant just one kind if you don’t want it to cross pollinate.”
Tara said: “My grandparents used to grow corn when they were in the farming business in Arkansas. I remember it was hard for them when there was a drought, even with irrigation systems.”
Susan said: “Corn does OK in raised gardens when you can plant the seeds deep enough. You’ll need full sun and plenty of water. You must follow planting directions as written; plants need to be at least 12 inches apart in order for pollination to take place so you will get full ears of corn.
However, corn is one of those veggies that worms just love to invade. So, if you want to get a good corn crop, you must spray the plants. It is a lot of work, but nothing like going out into the garden and picking fresh corn and dropping them into the pot for supper.”
Mark said: “I read a link somewhere that said to avoid worms, to rub Vaseline on the silk when it appears. I tried it and had no problem with worms!”
Jennifer said: “I plant my corn in Raised Garden Beds. I use a “lasagna” gardening, or layered gardening technique when setting up my beds, providing plenty of nitrogen in the soil.
The biggest tip is plant the corn EARLY. The earlier corn does not get worms like corn planted later in the season! I use no pesticide on my corn when it’s planted early and we harvest in June. I plant my stalks close together (about 4-5 inches) and have no problems. As a result, my fresh from the garden corn is incredible.”
Frugal Tip: Planning on growing your Corn in a raised bed? Check out this easy step-by-step tutorial for how to make raised bed gardens…
DIY Raised Garden Bed
Starla said: “We grew corn in our back yard where we also had Chickens. The corn grew like crazy. Not much rain that season, but the chicken poop was amazing fertilizer!! Once you cut it all down, don’t try to grow it in the same place again for a couple of seasons!!”
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Debby said: “Soapy water will kill earwigs.”
Rhonda said: “Earwig Trap: put rolled newspaper in your garden, earwigs love tight, dark spaces, then pick up the newspaper and toss it in a deep bucket of water to drown the earwigs.”
Bill writes: “My barn used to have thousands of earwigs. Reduce the population by pouring some beer or sweet drink on the grass near the structure and cover with any flat object, I use a small square of plywood around one square foot. Lift it up next day and get ready to do the earwig stomp.”
Dina said: “Cow poop! No joke. I’m in the city and had the best sweet corn ever in my yard, using poop from my dad’s farm and lots of water. Good luck!”
Frugal Tip: Keep that soil healthy with these DIY fertilizer hacks!
Natural Soil Fertilizer Tricks
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Use your garden fresh Corn to make these delicious recipes…
Grilled Mexican Style Corn Recipe
Slow Cooker Corn on the Cob Recipe {3 Ingredients}
Easy Corn Salsa Recipe {Chipotle Copycat}
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So do YOU have any Corn Gardening Tips or tricks??
Leave a comment & share!
Christie says
This is such a fantastic list of all these amazing tips! My husband tried planting corn last year and we only yielded 4-6 cobs lol!
Heidi says
Haha… well I bet those were some amazing homegrown cobs! You’ll definitely have to give it another try – nothing beats homegrown corn! 🙂
Lorian Bartle says
Good introduction to the Three Sisters method. I have previously done the corn/squash mixture but I am hopeful that the addition of beans will help bring nitrogen into the soil.
Lorian Bartle
Alfreda Bell says
Hi my name is Alfreda, I have a pot with two corn stalks,okra,and spearment plants in the same pot, I counted 8-10 ears, I was told that I could not grow corn because in the city,I wanted to prove to my-self as well as others that it can be done with research and determination, this is my frist time growing corn and my 4th yr in gardening this is the best one so far. I’m looking forward to seeing what my corn looks like but not sure when to harvest, can anyone help. Please.
Maya says
I have ants on my corn stalks. I sprayed them off with hose will this harm the cernal from forming?
Leo says
thanks for the great tips
Joanne Bruegeman says
Easy start for corn: soak in water overnight, then put corn in folded black and white ( no color ) wet newspaper /several layers and place in a Ziploc bag several days before planting. This will cause corn to sprout before planting and gets corn growing faster. Plant with sprout going down, cover with soil and watch it grow.
Raymond Dean White says
Sprouting corn before planting is a very good idea. I use damp, unbleached paper towels to sprout the seeds, then (against all advice I’ve read) I plant the sprouted seeds in Jiffy pellets and grow them until the plants are at least 6″ tall. Then I transplant them into my garden. I’ve had no problems with transplanting them this way and it helps me get my corn crop going very early. Oh, I also use black plastic over the soil to warm it up before transplanting. I use soaker hose buried at root level to provide water. And a few days after planting the corn I plant pole beans that will climb the stalks. After the beans are up and climbing I plant squash to finish out the three sisters method. It works well. I’m in arid NW AZ so proper watering is the key to a good crop and by planting early I can get a crop in mid-June, before the corn earbud worms show up. I plant in raised beds (3 or 4 rows) and can count on the wind to pollenate the plants. I will and do use Spinosad and Bt. to protect my crop.
This year I’m growing a sweet corn variety called Candy Mountain that I got from Adaptive Seeds. It only gets about 5′ tall and matures in just 70-80 days. I planted Kentucky Wonder pole beans (Gurney’s) with it as they only get 5-7′ tall. And this year I’m putting in Hopi Grey Squash I got from Seed Treasurers.
Brian says
Hey Chris I’m not to sure on what mulches you have where you are. I’m in Nova Scotia and I use a deep watering system on my tomatoes. I have no problem growing 7ft plants. I also plant my seedlings deep and add crushed egg shells in the hole first. I hope this helps.
Chris says
I am in my 3rd year of growing a garden, have great success with squash, okra, but corn and tomatoes don’t do very good. Each year I’ve tried some thing different with still no good benefits. So with this year I’m trying cattle panel to tie my tomatoes too and have learned to prune. My real guestion here is, I live in West Texas…very hot summers; I mulch with store brand mulch and just doesn’t work very good. Every where I check they says to use straw, but we do not have straw here, is there any thing else we can use that is as good as straw?
Thanks for any help
Chris
[email protected] com
Joanne Bruegeman says
Easy start for corn: soak in water overnight, then put corn in folded black and white ( no color ) wet newspaper /several layers and place in a Ziploc bag several days before planting. This will cause corn to sprout before planting and gets corn growing faster. Plant with sprout going down, cover with soil and watch it grow.
Joanne Bruegeman says
Make a square with cattle panels and as tomatoes grow bring branches out the holes for good support. Put crushed egg shells in when planting to prevent end blossom rot. Thin branches to remove non producing one’s and make stem stronger.
Gayle White says
Great site, thanks