This video clip provides expert advice on how to water corn, a popular summer delicacy. The video highlights the importance of using a soaker hose or drip irrigation system to deliver water directly to the roots and minimize evaporation. Sweet corn, a high-demand moisture crop, requires approximately one inch of water per week. Harvest corn in the morning when kernels are full of moisture and plunge ears immediately into cold water to preserve sweetness. Flint corn should be harvested just before the first frost, while popcorn and flour corn should be harvested when.
Sweet corn requires 1 ½ inches of water from rainfall or overhead watering per week. Watering via a soaker hose or similar system ensures that moisture reaches the correct depth. To maintain soil consistency near 75 moisture content, one inch of water should be applied to a depth of at least 5 inches. If the soil is sandy, it is better to water more often than once a week.
To grow great sweet corn sustainably, it is essential to know about position, watering, feeding, and pest management. Watering corn plants in the early morning hours will help evaporate any extra water that isn’t absorbed into the soil. By understanding the water needs of corn, implementing effective watering techniques, conserving water, and troubleshooting common watering issues, you can successfully grow corn.
📹 Your Corn Will LOVE You For This: 4 Tips to Grow Corn Like A Pro!
Growing corn can be difficult in small gardens, and I failed growing sweet corn for years in my backyard. This year, I finally had …
What are the methods of irrigation for corn?
Corn is highly tolerant to various irrigation systems, including pivot and linear systems, permanent and portable solid set, and traveler hose reel irrigation. Nelson Irrigation Rotator® and Big Gun® are popular choices for corn irrigation systems. The center pivot is a cost-effective, labor-saving solution, while the Orange plate provides the widest throw on drop tubes when configured with a uniform Rotator sprinkler package. Portable or permanent solid set systems are ideal for smaller or unusually shaped fields.
The R2000WF and R33 are the best sprinkler options for high risers required for corn, with typical spacings for the R2000WF being 30′ x 40′, 40′ x 40′, or 40′ x 50′. Nelson 10352 and 10060-002 PVC fittings are used for cost-effective riser extensions.
How do I water my corn plant?
The Corn plant is a low-light, ideal for corners and hallways, and requires moderate watering. Watering should be done once every 7-10 days or when the soil is dry to touch down 1 inch. The roots are located near the canes and have a shallow root system, so water should be placed near the base of each cane. If the leaves drop or yellow, watering should be reduced. The Corn plant is resistant to pests, but if infected, spraying a soapy mixture of water and dish soap should solve the issue. However, this plant is poisonous, so keep it away from pets and children.
What does overwatered corn look like?
Over-watering your Corn plant can lead to yellowing leaves and saturated soil, which can be harmful to the plant. To prevent this, stop watering and let the soil dry out. If the pot lacks drainage, consider repotting with fresh soil to allow excess water to escape. Wet leaves are an invitation for mold to enter, so they should be avoided. Under-watering can also cause the plant to show signs of thirst, such as crispy tips and drooping leaves. The soil should not be so dry that it pulls away from the pot’s edges.
Can corn be over watered?
Corn plants cannot tolerate being underwater for long periods, as they must exchange gases at the leaves and roots. Flood water can cover the entire plant for up to 72 hours before death occurs, and once this threshold is passed, the plant dies quickly. When corn is completely covered by water, it can become infected with a disease called Crazy Top, which can cause unusual growth and yield impacts.
Excessive water can result in poor nutrient uptake, root diseases, and severe nutrient stress. Plants cannot tolerate more than 4 to 5 days of conditions where the soil is covered by water without showing symptoms of severe nutrient stress. Heavy rainfall and saturated soil conditions without standing water or flooding are common issues across North Carolina. The key problem in these cases is the leaching of mobile nutrients such as nitrogen, sulfur, magnesium, or boron and/or denitrification of nitrogen.
Determining the loss of essential nutrients from leaching is difficult, but deep sandy soils will have the greatest loss due to leaching (up to 80 percent of the N applied), while clay or heavy organic soils will have the least (30 or less of the N applied). Corn is usually planted on heavier soils with less leaching potential, but leaching losses from 30 to 50 percent can occur on Norfolk, Goldsboro, or Lynchburg soils.
Denitrification is also difficult to estimate, as it depends on how long the soil remains saturated and soil temperature. Information from the University of Nebraska suggests that at soil temperatures above 75 degrees F, about 20 percent of the N applied will undergo denitrification for each day the soil remains saturated.
How often should I water my corn?
Watering is crucial for corn development, requiring a minimum of 1 inch of water per week. The most critical periods for watering are during pollination and final ear filling. Moisten the soil to a depth of 6 inches and irrigate in the early morning or evening to allow foliage to dry before dark. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation are excellent ways to conserve water. Maintain clean rows, avoid weeds, and till gently between rows.
Mound soil 2-3 inches up around the base to support stalks from wind damage. Organic mulches and chemical herbicides can help conserve moisture and control weeds. Sweet corn matures in 60 to 100 days, depending on the variety.
What happens when corn doesn’t get enough water?
Insufficient water in corn leads to a decline in overall health and reduced yield. Water-related stress can stunt corn growth, impede leaf development, weaken roots, and produce fewer kernels on ears. If severe, the corn plant can die. Nebraska’s unique climate with longer, warmer growing seasons necessitates irrigation for corn fields. Over the past five years, 60 of the state’s corn crop has been irrigated, particularly in the Central and Western parts of the state. Irrigated fields produced an average of 71 bushels more per acre than non-irrigated fields due to increased water supply to support healthy growth.
How do you know if corn is not getting enough water?
Drought in corn is a sensitive crop that can be affected by even slight changes in water availability. Signs of drought include rolling of leaves, yellowing of leaves, and stunted growth. The stage of corn most sensitive to drought is during silking and pollination. Silking occurs when long, shiny hair-like fibers emerge from the top of the corn ear, catching pollen for pollination. If the silk is too dry or shriveled, it can disrupt the pollen’s journey down the silk, preventing it from reaching the ear. Drought can also delay the silk’s emerging, preventing it from reaching the ear. Therefore, corn plants must be prepared to handle drought conditions to ensure their growth and survival.
Is too much water bad for corn?
Excess water in corn plants can lead to negative effects such as delaying planting, reduced seed/plant vigor, changes in normal growth/development, nutrient losses, water quality concerns, soil erosion, reduced nutrient uptake, and increased susceptibility to pests and disease pressures. Nitrogen (N) is the primary nutrient of concern under waterlogged or flooded conditions, as it is a very mobile nutrient in the system and can be lost due to leaching and denitrification.
To gain N use efficiencies and avoid losing the season’s N budget due to excess rain events, nitrogen fertilizer applications in corn are often split into different timings (e. g., pre-planting, at planting, after planting).
How do you fix an overwatered Corn plant?
In the event that a plant exhibits a significant loss of foliage, evidence of damp soil, the presence of fungal growth on the surface, or an unpleasant odor, the emergence of green leaves may be observed in response to these conditions.
Should I detassel my sweet corn?
To guarantee cross-pollination, it is essential to remove the tassel from the female plant in order to prevent contamination of the pollen. The corn that is harvested in the fall will be planted in farmers’ fields in the spring.
At what stage does corn need the most water?
Corn requires 22-30 inches of water per year for high yielding corn, depending on factors like planting date, density, maturity group, location, and weather conditions. Early reproductive growth stages require the most water, which are sensitive to water stress. Insufficient water supply can lead to significant reductions in yield if corn doesn’t meet the required water use (ET) during this critical period.
📹 🌽🌿 How Often to Water Corn? Tips for the Perfect Crop!
Discover the perfect watering schedule for your corn crop. Learning how often to water corn can be the key to a successful harvest …
I lived in Nebraska for my first 42 years and have grown lots of sweet corn. I have thes tips for you:#1 plant your corn where you grew your beans or peas the year before and never remove the roots of the beans or peas.#2 plant in large squares and not in long narrow rows and #3 throw alfalfa pellets on the ground and in the holes or furrows as you plant the seeds and spread these pellets out several time when the corn is growing or use alfalfa hay for mulch( I use the horse food from Tractor Supply for my alfalfa pellets). I spent three summers as a teenager in Central Nebraska de-tassling corn for the farmers growing seed corn for the big corn seed producers and learned way too much about corn pollination! Enjoy your sweet corn and keep growing!
If you found this article helpful, please “Like” and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for perusal 🙂TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 How To Grow Corn In A Backyard Garden 1:08 Tip #1: Mulching Corn Tips 2:40 Tip #2: Planting Corn With Drip Irrigation 3:55 Tip #3: Fertilizing Corn Plants 8:32 Tip #4: Corn Pollination 10:59 Harvesting Corn Successfully 12:57 Adventures With Dale
Have you heard of The Three Sisters Method? Look it up on the Internet. Basically you plant corn and then plant beans close to it so that the beans will grow up the corn stalk. This will stabilize the corn stock from the wind and it will add nitrogen to the soil. Next plant squash at the bottom of the corn stalk. The leaves of the squash will cover and shade the soil. The indians used this method. Thank you for all the work you go to and share with us. May God be with you and your family.
One other thing, that I have tried myself is that after the tassels have been pollinated and the kernels are starting to form drip a couple of drops of mineral oil (with an eyedropper)through the silks and it will stop bugs from getting into the corn. Obviously this would be hard to do in a field of corn, but works for the backyard.
Sweet corn is one of the nicest things to grow at home. Like tomatoes, it’s one of those veggies where the flavor difference between freshly picked and what you buy at the store is enormous. In corn’s case, that’s because the minute you pick the ear of corn, it starts converting it’s sugars into more complex carbs that don’t taste nearly as nice. Corn on the store shelf, even if it was only first picked 3-4 days ago, is noticeably less delicious than fresh picked for this reason.
I love growing vine green beans up the stocks of the corn to help fix the nitrogen in the soil at the corn roots, plus corn is the perfect trellis for the bean vines. As the beans can’t provide everything the corn will need, you will still need additional nitrogen and basic fertilizer to have a great harvest, but this has helped me in the past and you may be able to grow it completely organic this way as well. I didn’t need to space the corn out extra & just planted the bean seeds in between the corn a week or 2 later to make sure the corn/living trellis had a head start. I love Nancy’s tip of growing where you previously grew beans the year before & block planting is very important for self-pollination.
After 6 years or trying to grow corn this year I finally grew a crop I could harvest – this past winter I did something different – I let my geese and ducks run the area I planned to plant my corn – all winter they fertilized the ground with their high nitrate Poo and continued turning the ground looking for bugs – I didn’t use any extra fertilizer at all and yet I got a decent harvest – all years before not a thing so it really made the difference – just a helpful tip for those with water foul – utilize what you have
Love your vids. I have been using the “three sisters” method fo 4 years now in the same bed and fertilizing with liquid fish fertilizer bi-weekly, turning the stalks into the earth each spring. each year has been better ten the last with the exception of last year when we had a massive heat wave and the corn bolted before the silks were ready.This year I’ve got 24 plants and they are looking better than I’ve ever seen. One trick I made up is to put the tassels in a jar when they are ripe and then use a paintbrush to collect and distribute the pollen. I usually end up with a significant amount of pollen and the ears come out perfect. I have heard that the Indigenous people would bury fish scraps in their cornfields for nitrogen which is why is use liquid fish fertilizer.
THANK YOU! This is our first year growing corn. We only planted a little because we didn’t know how it would go and it is a sad little batch to be sure! BUT, perusal you article tells me that I for sure need to increase the watering and fertilizing for next year! I knew it might not work out so I’ll be happy to just have the stalks for some fall decorations, lol, but next year I will be ready! Thanks again from middle Georgia! (born and raised in NC!)
Your articles on corn were such a big help!! We pulled our first ear yesterday and we’re so happy! We hand pollinated it which we did last year but the watering and fertilizer/nitrogen were the info we needed to have a much better success! No pest damage whatsoever! We can’t wait to get our second crop in the ground! So thankful for all you do for us!
I’m from NW Wisconsin. I’ve never learned so much about corn until now. It’s very hard growing corn here. Fist we hardly get rain in the summer. Then we have a lot of cool nights. 7/23 24 is was only a high of 67 degrees & a low of 48. Makes for tough gardening. Either I always run out of time, or the corn never fully develops. . Good sleeping weather though. Thanks for the tips & great article.
Definitely going to use these tips – but the biggest most important factor is your soil. The base soil you have on your property is very good. Id know because I’m from SE VA. But i live in northern michigan now and the soil is bad. Ps my hound dog, a beagle, catches Frisbees like a lab. They can be trained to play fetch and like it
Great article! I live in a second story studio apartment, and last spring I decided I wanted to grow strawberry popcorn on my fire escape! I decided to plant 6 seeds in a window box and planted them in good lobster compost. They grew and grew without bug or insect problems. Around August I didn’t think they were going to produce any ears because I had no idea about the genius complexity of a kernal of corn and how it matures!- I did my research-WHAT A SEED!! and the most fun plant I have ever planted!! My favorite was discovering the silks suddenly popping out overnight at the leaf joint and stalk and then pollinating them by hand in hot summer- INCREDIBLE! And yes- sweet little ears of corn on each plant that popped up wonderfully! Loved your joy in picking your first eat of corn- was fun to be there with you! THANKS
Hey man thank you, thank you, thank you! My silks are just arriving, and I got lucky because I used a very rich vegetable fertilizer when I put my seeds in, and I have drip irrigation with a fancy timer and have been watering nearly every day. I just got the fish fertilizer you recommended and applied and I just pollinated, the tassels or fuzzy things. Looking forward to some awesome corn.
I love your excitement over your long sought after gardening triumph! There is little more rewarding than gardening success. We have always grown huge plots of corn with good results. As our family has shrunk, so has our corn patch. Unfortunately the smaller size caused all the problems you described. Next year we shall try again using your tips for backyard gardens. I love your website! P.S. My citrus trees are also grateful for your gardening tips!
My biggest problem has been the stalks blowing over in strong winds. Several inches of woodchips helped to keep them upright while small this year, and they were doing fine until a serious wind storm blew them all over this past weekend. Now I have them tied up, hopefully can still get an ear or two.
I’m growing corn for the first time in years. I’m doing Three Sisters garden plots. I have lots of silks and tassels. I’ve been stripping the tassels and sprinkling directly on the silks. I may try your method though. I water heavily quit a bit. Just put down a soaker hose under the straw mulch.. makes watering so much easier than all my spray hose! 😎 Thanks for the great tips! Love your articles! Northeast Oklahoma Zone 7a.
I’m a fairly new subscriber from the Piedmont Triad area. I grew up “Down East” so I know all about those summers. Thank you for your website and for sharing your content. I loved how the enthusiasm in your voice ratcheted up a few notches when you pulled off the corn. So much fun, again, thank you!
Another great article. Followed your outline and it’s working perfectly. Blood meal, miracle gro, natures harvest tomato/veg fish emulsion, liquid kelp foliar, steady water and hardwood bark mulch. Planted 12 direct seed and they all came up. About 4 ft. tall and tassels are about 5 inches and starting to see silks. I’m not sure when to hand pollinate. Is there a sign to know when? My first time planting corn and can’t thank you enough for this article. Bryn Mawr, PA zone 7b, gino
Hi Anthony. I’m growing my first patch of corn in two 6’x3’ raised beds. I have other plants in the beds as well, so I have about two dozen stalks growing between the two beds. I planted the first week of July, and have been using fish emulsion weekly, per your instructions. I also used feather meal (12-0-0) at planting time, and side dressed with the feather meal one time since then. The corn is starting to tassel! Do I continue with the weekly applications of fish emulsion? Do I need to side dress with the feather meal again? And do I continue these feedings until harvest? Or do I need to cut back on them at some point?
Congratulations on those beautiful tasty ears of corn!👍You checked off the right tips I learned a few years back that help me succeed in growing corn…especially to water, water, water and feed, feed, feed.🙂 Thank you to you and handsome Dale for that great laugh…good for my health.😄 So he’s a hound…sweet!😀
Awesome info. Thanks for emphasizing that we can not get GMO seeds and how it’s cross bred. I get so exhausted trying to explain to people about that and they are adamant its all GMO. I’ll have to add more fish fertilizer and blood meal to my corn. First time growing. Your articles are super informative you must’ve either been a teacher or salesman😂
Your advice is right on the mark, but by the time you invested in drip irrigation and purchased the fertilizers, is it really cost effective? I know a lot of home grown veggies are far superior to purchased ones, but some crops show very little difference. I grew corn many years ago. The small field had manure spread on it the previous fall and plowed under. I tediously hand pollinated and the ears were looking full. Then the raccoons found them. I figure that the ears I did harvest cost me an incredible amount of time and about 75 cents apiece and that was in the seventies, This year, the local stores had 10 ears for two dollars. I processed 70 ears of corn for home storage (canned and frozen). There is no way I will try to grow corn any more.
Welp, I’m about to pull out my corn. Second time trying to grow it and another failure. Stunted growth, only 2 stalks had corn on them and they were majorly defective. I watered them every day, but didn’t fertilize. So. Hmmm… Question: are corn plants shallow rooted? Can I get away growing them in containers? How deep should the containers be? I currently have several 28gal galvanized tubs that have been harvested of other veg and have been debating growing late corn in them. Think it would work?
Love you articles and pure excitement you show every time! I have a patch of corn but left the second half of the raised bed open for more corn so I can stagger the harvest. is it too late to start the second patch? this is my first year planting and my corn is about 7 ft tall haha. Need to fertilize the patch and pollinate the silks im getting now. Thanks again!
Hello, love all your content. I’m in the Army and not too far from you over in Fayetteville. I’m currently growing an older variety of sweet corn. I have 8 foot stalks and now I will fertilize more after perusal your latest vid. Given the right conditions, on average how many ears of corn can one expect from each stalk?
Like a previous gentleman said grow in blocks. Another thing and I do most of you cannot do it but if you can here’s a little help my garden when it’s all been harvested gets the sows turned into it and they stay there for a month or six weeks and they root up everything and they fertilize while they go along all the balls of roots from the corn and things like that and they just clean up everything really good if there’s a little bit of weeds they root them out and eat them to then after that as my garden is about 600 ft long and 400 ft wide I use it for my Bullpen endless winter work strahd Haze used and of course the manure from the Bulls then in the spring the pigs go back in there for a while before I Work It Up one drawback is the constant fighting with weeds and another is the height fresh nitrogen The Wiltern your carrots fuzzy so you got to watch what you plant in there but if you can do it if you have a location by all means do the she’ll be amazed at the corn you get and don’t forget to water and water and water and water I live in northern Saskatchewan Canada and I have corn like you wouldn’t believe every year
If you do fertilize your corn, then mix into the drig irrigation system so that there is continuous fertilization to the plant roots. No soil surface fertilization – that is a waste of time. Other than (open garden surface), fertilize deeply into the soil in Fall and Winter, allowing rain and snow to deep percolate down the fertilizer – long before spring planting of seeds happen.
I’m trying corn for the 3rd year.. no corn the first year.. but lovely stalks 🤷♀️ second year I gave up the battle with aphids.. ✨ bonus ✨ the ladybugs came in really heavy to farm all those aphids, and this year I have ladybugs everywhere ♥️.. this year, I’m growing baby corn.. but I’m loosing to the 🐿.. I have about 30 of 60 plants left
I don’t know what I did to anger the corn gods, but I somehow have managed to have plants that 80% have crinkled leaves from growing too quickly with none of them more than 2.5ft tall. And now I also have a few tasseling before producing any ears, I’m hesitant to fertilize more since they are already showing signs of too rapid growth and I’m not sure if they haven’t been watered enough but they get watered every other day amidst the drought I have had with Temps regularly in the mid 90s
We don’t grow corn..no space.I grew up on a farm.My parents had huge garden..We would have corn on cob everyday..Mom would cook up prob 15 ears a day..and still freeze enough for the year.Fresh tomatoes, potatoes,green beans, peas,zuchinni,squash,onions peppers were a constant.My favorite was wilted lettuce.I didn’t get their green thumb..but trying ..
I’m no expert. I have 1/3 acre. I’ve grown corn twice in the past 2 years and had decent results. I planted in a bed built on compacted clay/grass with soil3 compost + my own worm castings. I haven’t generally fertilized midlifecycle. I did do a 3 sisters thing the first time and my garden gets nitrogen from my fishtank, mostly, plus the compost, which I’m still figuring out.
For a natural sterile fertilizer look no further than what you regularly flush down the toilet. Fresh urine used within 4-6 hours is full of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium,just mix a half cup per gallon of water. You can also collect urine and over time chemical processes take place to make it even stronger so that after a year as little as a tablespoon per gallon is all you need. Urine will also cut down on the time it takes to compost your leaves into leaf mould by half,microbiology love it. Give it a try on all your plants,you will be amazed at the results.
ALL you need is to grow crimson clover in your corn patch and it’ll fix all the nitrogen the corn needs just water the corn and cut down the clover before planting corn in that spot. Also always have clover white or crimson patches for spring and summer bees. Your garden seems void of any bee flowers on film. Probably why you speak of hand pollination a lot, which means your garden isn’t at it’s full potential! Clover, leeks, etc! Your garden should be humming with bees or your missing vital tools from nature. Don’t be like all those suburban neighbors of yours and just have green crap and lawn care, ticky tacky no bug life, always looking out how to kill anything that flies or crawls. You’re always looking to add man made or man synth stuff to your garden (probably to Amazon ref sell it) but it’s not needed at all with proper pre crop growing in soil. Damn millennials 😂
If that’s the nicest cob, I hate to think what the others looked like. Clearly your corn is not pollinated properly and stunted. It looks light-green, not enough moisture too. Please don’t proclaim yourself an expert, your corn isn’t anywhere close to what healthy corn looks like. You also need to grow it in a block for proper pollination, your cobs are clearly not properly pollinated in 2 little rows, and it looks like you grew multiple varieties of corn in the same space….cross pollination will result in horrible corn, and yours looks horrible. Spare us your commercials, it didn’t work for you.