Growing sweetcorn

When growing sweet corn, it is important to have plenty of space in your vegetable garden. The most important parts about growing corn are, correct planting, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting at the right time.

The time to plant the corn is after every chance of frost is over, and the soil has reached at least 10 degrees Celsius for normal sweet corn and 17C for the other types. Make sure the seed is fungicide treated if you plant the corn in cool wet soil, since these conditions favor the growth of fungi which can rapidly rot the seed. Plant the seeds about 20-30 cm apart (2-3 seeds at each spot), in rows about 30-40 cm apart, about 3-4cm deep, except for the super-sweet variety which should be planted only 2cm deep. Water them thoroughly and wait for the seedling to come out. If more then one seedling grows our of one spot, weed out the weaker or poorer seedling, further increasing your chances of a great harvest. Make sure the corn leaves don't curl up which is a sign of lack of water, and if they do water the corn immediately. Usually once the corn reaches a height of 50cm it isn't necessary to water it anymore unless the leaves curl up, and you should fertilize the plant at this time. Proper weeding also increases the chances of a good harvest.