Annual sweet corn is a delicate, warm-season crop that yields yellow, wʜɪᴛe, or bicolor kernels in the form of ears. Corn needs a lengthy, frost-free growing season in order to be grown and harvested. Because it is an American native and is one of the Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—that Native Americans plant, sweet corn has been domesticated for thousands of years. Corn, a plant that belongs to the ɢʀᴀss family, depends on the wind to pollinate its bʟᴏssoms! Because of this, maize is planted in blocks of short rows rather than long, single rows.
Early, midseason, and late season kinds of corn are available. Early-season types mature most quickly, whilst late-season kinds may require the entire growing season. Plant types with varying “days to maturity” for a longer yield. There are four primary varieties of hybrid sweet corn: synergistic (sy), sugary (su), sugar-enhanced (se), and shrunken (sh, sh2) (sy). Each one has a varied proportion of sugar, which alters the corn’s flavor and texture. The sweetness of sweeter types will endure longer after harvest.
When to Plant Corn
The common consensus is against planting maize inside. It is better to start them right in the garden to avoid disturbing their delicate roots when transplanting.
Don’t plant corn until the soil temperature is at least 60°F (16°C) or 65°F (18°C) for particularly sweet kinds because corn is extremely vulnerable to frost. This often occurs two to three weeks following the final spring frost. Since corn needs a prolonged period of frost-free weather for growth, it is imperative to plant early. View our planting calendar for corn based on average frost dates and average frost dates. Choosing an early variety that will mature well before the first fall frost is advisable if you live in an area with a short growing season.
Harvesting
Corn matures more fast as the temperature rises. It normally ripens between 15 and 23 days after silking, though if temperatures are particularly high, it may do so earlier. The top ear matures one to two days before the lower one when two ears are growing on a stalk. When they are ready to be harvested, ears should be rounded or blunt, not pointed, with tassels that are fading and ripe, milky kernels.
Pull back some husk and test by poking a kernel with your fingernail. It is ready if it is wʜɪᴛe or milky. In warmer temperatures (over 85°F/29°C), sweet corn is only at its peak for one to two days during the milk stage, so check it periodically. A few days following the milk stage, corn will not be as sweet when harvested. To separate the ears from the stalk, pull them downward and twist. Use sugary (su) cultivars as soon as possible because they quickly lose their sweetness after harvest. After picking, get ready for eating or preserving. Late-season frosts can injure young corn plants and cobs, ᴋɪʟʟing the plant or producing corn with a poor flavor.
Let’s see How 1,35 Million Tons Of Sweet Corn In America Is Harvested in the ᴀᴡᴇsome video below.
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Video resource: Tony 98 – Discovery
