Many only know the golden-yellow fruit from the field. You can also plant corn yourself. Find out here which varieties are suitable for growing in the garden and on the balcony and how to properly fertilize and care for corn.
Maize (Zea mays) belongs to the grass family (Poaceae) and is one of the world's most important staple foods. The culture originally comes from Central America. Today, maize varieties are mainly cultivated on our fields, which, due to their high starch content, are used as fodder crops or as a renewable raw material for the production of biogas, biofuel or biomaterials. As a grain, corn is one of the most important staple foods and is consumed in many different forms.
The best corn types and varieties for consumption
There is a wide variety of maize types and varieties. They can be divided according to their grain type, which in turn results in different uses: grain corn is ground into dough and bread, soft corn is used to make tortillas and we use hard corn in the form of cornstarch for cooking and baking. We also love popcorn in the form of popcorn and we enjoy sweetcorn in the form of grilled corn on the cob, for example. The special feature of sweet corn, also known as vegetable corn, is that the sugar stored in the grains is only slowly converted into starch during ripening. That explains the pleasantly sweet taste of the corn kernels.
Corn varieties for the garden
If you want to plant corn in your garden, the normally sweet sweet corn variety 'Golden Bantam', which has been known since 1902, is a good choice. Compared to other sweet corn varieties, it has a long harvest window from early August to mid-October. Since the sugar quickly turns into starch after harvesting, the corn should be eaten as fresh as possible.
The very early variety 'Ashworth' ripens about two weeks earlier than 'Golden Bantam' and is particularly suitable for cooler regions of Germany. It reaches a height of about 1.50 meters.
The medium-ripe variety 'Mezdi' is particularly sweet. Differentthan in 'Golden Bantam', the sugar is only slowly converted into starch. The growth height is up to 180 centimeters.
Small corn varieties for the balcony
The early-ripening sweet corn variety 'Damaun' is suitable for the balcony due to its medium-tall growth. The cobs of corn are also slightly smaller than those of the later varieties.
With a growth height of only 40 centimeters and a ripening time of only 55 days, the very early variety 'Yucon Chief' is also convincing. It forms six to eight centimeters large, golden yellow, sweet corn on the cob.
If the cobs don't necessarily have to be the classic yellow cobs, the varieties 'Jade Blue' with blue cobs and 'Luther Hill' with white cobs are also available. They are also small and can therefore be planted in containers on the balcony.
Plant Corn
In warmer regions, the corn kernels can be sown directly into the prepared bed or into the pot on the balcony. Here, however, the optimal sowing time is important. If the seeds are sown too early, there is a risk that the early development of the plants will be disrupted by temperatures that are too low. Especially in cooler locations, the maize plants should therefore be grown in a sheltered place.
When do you plant corn?
Sweetcorn needs sufficient warmth and should only be sown or planted when the days and nights are frost-free. With direct sowing, you can sow the corn kernels from the end of April if you protect them from the cold with a cover afterwards. Without a cover, sowing takes place in early to mid-May. If the plants are brought forward, you can start in mid-April and plant the young plants outdoors or in a pot two to three weeks later. Only early and mid-early varieties are suitable for growing maize in Germany, as the growing season is simply too short for other varieties.
Tip: Preparing young plants for corn cultivation therefore has a decisive advantage over direct sowing. Due to the time advantage, the corn will more certainly be ripe by the end of the growing season.
Growing corn: location and procedure
Choose a sunny spot for the corn in your vegetable patch or on the balcony. Candy corn is specialneeds warmth and needs temperatures of 24 to 29 °C as well as a lot of sun to develop well. Maize is a heavy feeder and has high demands on the nutrient content of the soil. This should be deep, nutritious, humic and moist. Our peat-free Plantura organic universal soil is ideal for planters on the balcony.
Prepare corn plants:
- Time: mid-April
- Fill seed pots about 10 cm high with seed compost
- Place the corn kernels with the tip downwards at a sowing depth of 2 - 3 cm and at a distance of 5 cm from each other; cover with earth
- Keep Soil Moist
Plant corn plants:
- Carefully remove the corn plants from the seed trays
- Insert 45 cm apart
- Press plants well and water
Tip: By placing the root ball a little deeper in the ground than in the seed pot, the corn plant can form additional lateral supporting roots.
Sow Corn:
- Time: late April to late May
- Place corn seeds 45 cm apart
- Seed depth: 3 cm
- Cover the grains with soil and press down gently
Tip: Depending on the temperature, the seeds should be covered with plant fleece for the first few days outdoors.
Because the sweetcorn plants are wind pollinated, planting in groups is better than planting in rows. This arrangement is intended to ensure cross-pollination. In addition, to avoid pollination by low-sugar agricultural corn varieties, it is advisable to keep a distance of about 500 meters to the nearest corn field.
Summary - Planting Corn:
- Sow corn: end of April to end of May
- Plant corn: Plant young plants in mid-April and plant in the bed or pot 2 to 3 weeks later
- Sunny location; nutrient-rich, humic and deep soil
- Plant spacing: 45 cm, sowing depth: 3 cm
- Planting in groups to ensure pollination
Tip: Corn is suitable for growing in a milpa bed - mixed with beans and squash. We will show you how to create and care for such a bed.
Caring for corn in the garden
In order to ensure optimal development of the plants, you should regularly remove orby underplanting or mulching, avoid that these multiply too much and compete with the maize plants for nutrients and light. In addition, maize requires an adequate water supply and occasional fertilizer in order to be able to optimally exploit its yield potential.
Water the corn
Water the corn plants regularly, but be economical. Corn is relatively drought tolerant, but prolonged water shortages result in reduced yields. Therefore, moisten the soil, especially during dry periods, but avoid waterlogging.
Fertilize corn
Like all types of corn, the sweet and sweet corn varieties are heavy consumers. They absorb a lot of nutrients and should already be supplied with a slow-release fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer when planting. Alternatively, compost is also suitable. An additional application of fertilizer is recommended at the beginning of flowering.
Harvest corn in the garden
Depending on the variety, the harvest time for sweet corn is between the end of July and the end of September. Unlike popcorn or grain corn, sweetcorn is not harvested until it is fully ripe. The right time to harvest sweet corn is when it has reached the ripening stage of milk ripening. You can tell when the milk is ripe by the fact that the grains have already reached their final size and color typical of the variety. However, they are easily crushed between the fingers and their grain content is milky. The leaves and spindles are still green. Only the stigma threads that protrude from the tips of the leaves-encased cobs have already dried up brown-red. Harvest the corn by simply cutting the corn cobs off the plant or twisting them out of the leaf axils.
If you are now interested in growing corn and want to enjoy not only your own sweet corn but also your own popcorn, you will find all the important information about popcorn corn in our special article.