| Similar to sunflowers, corn can make an excellent | | | | corn, they should be isolated from sweet corn |
| backdrop to any type of garden. Matter of fact, | | | | varieties. |
| methods on how to grow corn are now being sought | | | | For a longer season full of harvest, it is best to plant |
| after by a lot of homeowners for the home gardens. | | | | different types of corn with varying maturities. You |
| Learning to plant corn has become very popular | | | | can also plant corn with beet, bush bean, cantaloupe |
| because it is not only delicious; it is also noted as a | | | | and parsley as well as cucumber, pea, pumpkin, |
| worthwhile vegetable for gardens. | | | | squash and early potato. |
| The best location to grow corn is along the northern | | | | To grow corn successfully, exposure to full sunlight is |
| sections of the garden as long as there is full sunlight. | | | | necessary. Since it is a heavy feeder, it needs |
| Frost is still its worst enemy but as long as the soil is | | | | well-drained, fertile soil having a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. |
| well-fertilized, it may grow in light frost as well. | | | | You can prepare the soil by adding well-rotted |
| However, during the dry summer season, it may | | | | manure or even organic matter. Good examples are |
| need extra water for quality ears. | | | | bloodmeal, liquid fertilizer of partially rotted manure. |
| As for very hot weather conditions, pollination of | | | | Once corn plants grow knee-high, you can apply a |
| corn may be affected. You can go about this by | | | | side dressing of nitrogen. This can give corn some |
| planting corn on a staggered basis. Plant corn a few | | | | additional boost in its growth. |
| weeks apart. Another option is to select corn | | | | As corn needs lots of moisture, you can hill the soil |
| varieties that have different maturities. | | | | by the base of the plant once they reach 6 inches in |
| When it comes to propagation and sowing, keep in | | | | height. This helps anchor the plants - keeping the |
| mind that corn is actually wind pollinated. It needs to | | | | roots cool and covered. To keep the weeds down |
| be planted in blocks of several rows to enable even | | | | and to conserve moisture, use mulch. |
| pollination. Corn seeds should be sown 3 to 4 inches | | | | You'll know when it's time to harvest corn once the |
| apart and 1/2 to 1 inch deep. This is in rows that are | | | | ears seem completely filled. Plus, you'll notice a |
| 24 to 32 inches apart. | | | | pierced kernel showing some milky white liquid. Once |
| You also need to thin the corn seeds to about 10 to | | | | the silk turns crisp and brown, this is a good sign that |
| 12 inches. This is since crowding can greatly reduce | | | | means the corn cobs are ready. |
| its size or it won't even form at all. As for ornamental | | | | |