Do you dream of your grown corn? All you need to know about sowing and care

Sweet and juicy corn grown in your garden is a real summer delicacy. Although corn looks like large and demanding plants, you can successfully grow this valuable plant in your yard by properly selecting the variety and following the basic breeding rules. How to grow corn?

In this article we will discuss the most important aspects of corn cultivation, from sowing to harvest.

How to grow corn? Choosing the right breed:

The first step is to choose the right corn variety, taking into account your needs and climatic conditions:

• Sweet corn: This is the most popular choice for eating fresh, canning or refrigeration. There are different varieties of sweetness and early varieties.
• Forage corn: Cultivated for animal feed, has high yields.
• The starchy corn: Used to make starch, flour.
• Blistering corn: dedicated to making clicks.

When choosing a breed, pay attention to its early (number of days from sowing to harvest), resistance to disease and pests and yield.

Selection of the right place and soil preparation:

Corn loves a warm, sunny and protected area from strong winds. They grow best in fertile, fluffy, well -drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0.

Before sowing, the soil should be well dug, fertilized with compost or dung. If the soil is acidic, it is recommended that it be limed in the fall before sowing.

How to grow corn? Sowing time and way:

Corn is heat -loving plants, so sowing should only be sown when the risk of spring frost passes and the soil temperature reaches at least +10-12 ° C at a depth of 10 cm. In Lithuania, this is usually located in mid or end of May.

Sowing method:

• Sown directly into the soil: Seeds are sown at a depth of 3-5 cm, leaving a distance of 20-30 cm between the plants in the row and 60-90 cm between the rows. When sowing a few rows, it is recommended to focus them in the north -south direction so that the plants get enough sunlight.
• Seedlings (less often): For the previous harvest, it is possible to grow seedlings in the greenhouse or indoors and subsequently transplant it into the open soil.

Care:

• Watering: The corn is quite demanding for moisture, especially in the stages of germination, rings formation and grain maturation. They should be watered regularly in dry air.
• Fertilization: The corn responds well to fertilization. Nitrogen fertilizers and later complex fertilizers with phosphorus and potassium are recommended at the beginning of vegetation. Fertilization can be fertilized several times a season.
• Weeding and loosening: It is important to regularly remove and loosen the gaps to improve air circulation and moisture absorption.
• Hurning: When the corn reaches a height of 20-30 cm, it is recommended to hug it to make the root system stronger and the plants are more resistant to wind.
• Control of pests and diseases: Observe whether pests (eg aphids, cornflakes) or diseases (such as cobs) are not attacked. Use appropriate safeguards if necessary.

Pollination:

Corn is single plants – male flowers (whisk) grow at the top and female (cob) in the leaf armpits. Wind helps pollen from the brooms on the spray (hair) and pollinates the cobs.

For good pollination and full grain cobs, it is recommended to plant corn groups rather than a row.

Harvesting:

Sweet corn cobs are usually prepared for the harvest 20-30 days after flowering. Ripe cobs start to brown and dry, and the grain becomes juicy and milky consistency.

Forage corn is removed when the grain reaches waxy maturity.

Photos associative © canva

Source: https://www.bc.ua/