Varieties We Grow

This year we stuck to one variety: Peaches & Cream Early. The kernels are deliciously sweet. But after considering how much space these plants take up in the garden and how much  good organic corn is sold in our area in August, we've decided not to grow any next year.

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Don't let us dissuade you, though. It's very difficult to beat the taste (and price) of your own corn picked fresh in the morning and eaten at dinner that evening

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​Getting Started

We generally start our corn in the greenhouse in April, 2 or 3 seeds to a 10 cm (4 inch) diameter pot. Set the seeds 2.5 cm deep (1 inch) in a 50-50 potting soil and compost mixture. Keep your seeds moist but not wet, and don't let them dry out.

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​Caring for Your Young Plants

We move the seedlings outside when they are about 10 cm (4 inches) high around the middle of May to harden off for a few days; then we plant them in deeply cultivated, well-composted soil in the third to last week of May.

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To better assist pollination, don't  plant your seedlings in a  long single row. Group them together in squares three or four seedlings wide. So one square would contain 9 or 16 seedlings. You don't have to be rigid about this; you just want to assure that each corn plant is in pollinating proximity to as many other corn plants as possible.  Set out the plants so that they're at least 30 cm (1 foot) apart.

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Corn needs consistent weeding. Be careful not to disturb the seedlings' roots as you weed. When they're between 15-22 cm (6-9 inches) tall, you can mulch around the plants with straw, being careful to keep the mulch 3-5 cm (an inch or two) away from the stems.

 

Corn also needs a lot of H20. Deep water the roots once a week, twice once the tassels beginning forming, and during long dry spells. Side dress with compost or dilute seaweed fertilizer at least twice during the growing season.

 

Harvesting Your Cobs

If you're like us, you lurk around your corn patch, vainly hoping that a few are ready for weeks before they are. Corn is ready to harvest, when you can poke a kernel with your finger and juice squirts out.

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Recycling Your Corn Stalks

Any disease- and pest-free dead corn stalks can be buried in a deep trench you've dug in another part of your garden. As they decay, they form more 'green manure' that will increase the nitrogen level and microbial health of your soil. Plus burying corn stalks in your garden is a neat and ecological way to deal with them.​

 

Companion Plants

​A lover of nitrogen, corn does well near peas and beans, plants that add nitrogen to the soil. So you can plant pole beans, for example, in amongst your corn; or you can plant your corn in soil occupied by last year's beans or peas. ​

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​​​Storing Your Corn

Nah. Just eat it. Well, if you grow enough, you can strip the raw kernels from the cobs, pour them in freezer bags and pop them into your freezer.  ​

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