Growing sweet corn is most likely why most people wish to start a backyard lawn, according to Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, and it’s simple to do with the ideal soil and enough moisture, says Cornell University. Sweet corn thrives throughout United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 through 8, along with a healthful, disease-free corn plant along with bountiful harvest all starts with choosing the proper date for planting your first row of corn.

After the Last Spring Frost Date

The first date that sweet corn may get planted in USDA zone 8 is just at the normal frost date for your specific area, when temperatures remain at or above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you’re growing a supersweet assortment of corn, this temperature requirement jumps to 65 degrees F. In many USDA zone 8 regions, the final frost date ranges from late February to early March.

After Suitable Soil Preparation

Corn plants are notoriously hungry and desire a high level of soil nutrients to develop quickly. These nutrients must be used before sowing the corn seeds, or else the plants won’t have the nutritional foundation they require for proper germination, establishment and corn production. Before planting the corn seeds, the soil should get broken up to a depth of 6 to 8 inches and amended with 4 inches of compost. This provides the wealthy, well-drained dirt structure that corn requires. Furthermore, the soil’s mineral levels must get boosted with a program of 2 lbs of 16-16-8 fertilizer for each 100 square feet of the corn garden.

Prior to the First Fall Frost Date

A late-season crop of corn may be damaged and its own harvest completely lost in case the first fall frost date happens prior to the corn was picked. If planting corn late in the calendar year, gardeners have to use one of numerous short- or medium-season candy corn hybrids on the current market, which typically reach a harvest-ready stage a couple of weeks quicker than conventional sweet corn varieties. The seed packet for the particular hybrid will detail the precise time it requires from planting to harvesting. Gardeners should sow the seeds accordingly so that the corn has sufficient time to reach maturity before the first fall frost date. The first fall frost date for many USDA zone 8 areas range from late September to early November.

Exceptions: Plastic Mulch

Some gardeners use clear polyethylene mulch film laid across the bare garden soil. This allows the sun’s rays to pass through the plastic and bake the ground under. If such plastic mulch is used in a lawn, a gardener may typically plant sweet corn in USDA zone 8 approximately 10 days prior to the conventional earliest planting date since the mulch heats the ground and shields it in the cold.

See related