How to Grow Corn
Corn is not just a Thanksgiving favorite, but many people all around the world love fresh corn to eat. In the United States, the Midwest is the best place for fresh grown corn. There are many corn festivals along with farmers growing corn that is abundant in Ohio, along with several other States in America. Wherever you are, though, growing your own type of corn can be very satisfying. You'll not only have the pride that you are growing your own food, but you'll also have something to share with friends and relatives.
Before you plant the corn, however, you should take into consideration where you're going to plant it. Corn stalks love where there is direct sunlight. This is why many farmers plant them in a wide open field so there is nothing that blocks the direct sunlight to the corn. Also when preparing the corn growing site you want to make sure that there are plenty of nutrients in the soil. If you are planning to plant the corn in the early spring after the morning hard frost ends, some people recommend that you mix in fertilizers and compost during the winter months before you plant the corn so that the fertilizer and nutrients will have time to sink into the soil. About a week before you actually do the planting in the spring tilling the soil thoroughly is recommended to get the soil's ingredients ready for planting corn.
When you have finished tending to the site where you'll grow the corn, the next and most important step is to actually plant the corn. Depending on how big the corn plants are will depend on how far you must spread them out. If they are smaller plants then you should place the corn plants four to six inches apart from each other. However, if they are about 3 or 4 inches tall then you are going to want to plant them about a foot apart from each other. Both of these corn growing principles will ensure that none of the corn plants interferes with the other.
Watering the corn and feeding the corn can also be one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. For example, throughout the growing corn season you want to make sure that the corn plants receive enough water to almost be standing water, but never flooding them out. Also, watering them from above is never recommended because it will hamper the growth effect. Also, when the corn plants are older (around a foot tall) you want to feed them with some liquid fertilizer so that they receive the proper nutrients from the fertilizer.
Once you're corn is ready to be harvested you'll be able to plant more corn plants, if not before. In fact, to have a successful corn growing year you could plant the corn every three weeks to ensure enough corn throughout the season. Once you get the hang of learning how to grow corn, though, it will become second nature to tend and care for your corn plants!
