How To Grow Corn

Sweet corn needs a lot of room, a lot of attention, and it needs heat. It likes a fertile soil with good drainage, and absolutely hates clay. You need to grow corn in full sun, with shelter from strong winds.

Sweet corn is wind pollinated, and needs to be grown in a block. The block needs to be at least 1.2 meters, or four foot square.

Prepare the bed in the autumn, and add lots of manure. You can sow corn directly into the ground, but I sow mine in three-inch pots indoors around about March. When the plants are large enough, I transfer them to the green house, then I gradually harden them off, which means acclimatising them to outdoor conditions before planting them out in their final bed.

Before planting the sweet corn plants, add a little bit of general purpose fertilizer to the bed and just rake it in. Plant each plant 35 centimeters apart, and plant the rows 65 centimeters apart to form a block. Sweet corn needs lots of nutrition.

So adding manure, and chicken pellets to the border is a really good idea. When the plant starts to grow, mound the soil up around the base of each plant to support the stalks as they grow. Sweet corn needs loads of water, so keep the plant well watered, but avoid getting water onto the tassels, as these are the parts of the plant that carry the pollen.

Harvest the corn cobs when the kernels are soft and plump, and when you stick your finger into them, the liquid that comes out should be milky in color. If it's clear, the corns not quite ready, leave it another couple of weeks. There is nothing as tasty as a freshly picked sweet corn.

They may be a little tricky to grow, and require a lot of attention, but it's really well worth it. Good luck! Planning to grow a vegetable garden this year? How about adding some delicious sweet corn! Linsey Evans, a gardening expert, shows you how to plant, care for, grow, and pick your own sweet corn.