One of my favorite hobbies is a bit risky. If everything goes right, the pay-off is sweet, but if things go wrong, I have to deal with monetary losses, and death. Planting corn earlier or later than the seed packet recommends can create problems, but it also creates the opportunity to eat corn on the cob for 5 months.
Planting corn in soil that hasn't warmed up is a recipe for rotted seed. A few sunny days, and a shallower planting depth - say 1/2 to a quarter inch - increase your chances of success. And traditional sweet corns like Sunglow and Golden Bantam will do better in spring soil than the increasingly popular Super Sweet varieties. Sprouting seeds indoors can make for better germination too. And if the seed fails, you've only lost a dollar or two. You can replant in the same place when the weather cooperates.
Corn is self-pollinating, so you need at least 3 rows 5 feet long, and 5 rows is probably better. Planting corn several times over the summer is a necessity for a continuous harvest. And corn is a big feeder, so work a half cup of seed meal into the soil a week before planting, or use some fish emulsion during the growing season.
Traditional hybrids start to lose sugar content the moment you pick them, so they should be used immediately. I put the water on, then head out to pick the corn. The super sweet varieties hold their sugar and can be picked and kept in the fridge for a week or longer. Some people like to eat corn - especially the super sweet varieties raw.
Yes, corn takes a bit of space in your garden, and can be purchased relatively inexpensively, but putting seed in the ground and watching plants grow eight feet tall is a great introduction to gardening for kids, and still impresses folks who have been planting for 60+ years.
Last year I put my final planting in the ground on August 5th, and had a harvest that lasted well into November. Could Christmas corn be far behind?
