How to Grow Sweet Corn
Get Your Exact Sweet Corn Planting Dates
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Your Sweet Corn dates ·
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Supplies You'll Need
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Plant Overview
Growing Requirements
Sun
Full Sun (8+ hours)
Water
High (consistent moisture, especially at silking)
Spacing
12" apart
Depth
1" deep
Height
5-8 ft
Germination
5-10 days
Ready to Grow Sweet Corn?
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Common Sweet Corn Varieties
Popular cultivars to look for at your local nursery or seed supplier.
Silver Queen
Classic white sweet corn with tender kernels and sweet, milky flavor; a Southern favorite.
Honey Select
Tripled-sweet hybrid with yellow kernels and extraordinary sugary flavor; very popular.
Peaches & Cream
Bicolor corn with yellow and white kernels; sweet, tender, and widely adapted.
Jubilee
Long, 9-inch yellow ears with excellent flavor and good disease resistance.
Luscious
High-sugar synergistic variety with exceptional eating quality and tender skin.
Days-to-maturity figures are approximate and vary by climate and growing conditions.
Common Sweet Corn Problems
What to watch for — and how to fix it before it spreads.
Pests
The most destructive sweet corn pest; larvae enter the silk channel and feed on developing kernels.
Apply mineral oil with Bt to silk channels when silk is 5 days old; harvest promptly when ears are ready.
Larvae bore into stalks and ears, causing structural damage and entry points for disease.
Apply Bt when caterpillars are small; scout for egg masses on upper leaf surfaces.
Knock down stalks and strip ears the night before harvest, with almost supernatural timing.
Electric fence with peanut butter bait is the most reliable deterrent; harvest promptly at peak ripeness.
Diseases
Fungal galls on ears, tassels, and stalks swell to silver-gray blobs; actually edible (huitlacoche).
Remove smut galls before they burst; destroy (don't compost); plant resistant varieties.
Bacterial disease spread by corn flea beetles causing tan-streaked leaves and ear rot in susceptible varieties.
Plant resistant varieties; control flea beetles with row covers.
Common Mistakes
Corn is wind-pollinated and needs a block of at least 4 rows to ensure kernel fill.
Plant in a block (4+ rows wide, any length) rather than a single long row.
Sweet corn converts sugars to starch within 24–48 hours of reaching peak; starchy corn is a disappointment.
Check daily once silk turns brown; puncture a kernel — milky juice means it's ready. Harvest immediately.
Cross-pollination with field or popcorn ruins sweet corn flavor.
Separate by at least 400 feet or plant so tasseling times don't overlap.
Seed Saving Guide
DifficultWhen to Harvest Seed
Leave selected ears on stalks until husks are dry and brown. Harvest after first frost.
Processing
Husk dried ears, shell off kernels by hand, spread to cure 3–4 weeks before storing.
Seed Viability
Up to 2 years when stored cool, dark, and dry.
Pro Tip
Wind-pollinated — requires 1000-foot isolation from all other corn varieties. Needs 200+ plants minimum for genetic diversity.
Seed Storage Supplies
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Raised Bed Planting Guides
A 4×8 bed fits 32 plants of Sweet Corn. See plant counts, spacing grids, and companion pairings for every bed size →
Sweet Corn Planting Calendar by Zone
Sweet Corn Planting Calendar by State
Other Plants
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant Sweet Corn? +
Sow Sweet Corn seeds directly in the garden 2 weeks before your last frost date. Use the search on this page to find exact dates for your location.
How long does Sweet Corn take to grow? +
Sweet Corn typically matures in about 75 days from planting. Exact timing varies by variety, soil conditions, and local climate.
Should I start Sweet Corn indoors or direct sow? +
Sweet Corn does best when direct sown outdoors. Plant seeds directly in the garden at the appropriate time based on your local frost dates.
How much sun does Sweet Corn need? +
Sweet Corn requires full sun (8+ hours) to thrive.
How far apart should I plant Sweet Corn? +
Space Sweet Corn plants 12 inches apart to allow adequate airflow and root development.
How much water does Sweet Corn need? +
Sweet Corn has high (consistent moisture, especially at silking) water needs. Consistent moisture is important especially during germination and early growth.
Can you save seeds from Sweet Corn? +
Yes — seed saving difficulty for Sweet Corn is rated difficult. Leave selected ears on stalks until husks are dry and brown. Harvest after first frost. Husk dried ears, shell off kernels by hand, spread to cure 3–4 weeks before storing.
How long do Sweet Corn seeds last in storage? +
Properly dried and stored Sweet Corn seeds remain viable for up to 2 years. Store in a cool, dark, dry location in an airtight container with a silica gel packet for best results.
Are Sweet Corn seeds open-pollinated? +
Yes — Sweet Corn is open-pollinated, meaning seeds saved from your harvest will grow plants true to the parent variety. This makes it an excellent candidate for building a self-sustaining garden.
About Sweet Corn
Plant in blocks of at least 4 rows for good wind pollination. Harvest when silk turns brown and kernels squirt milky juice. Best eaten immediately after picking.
Expect your Sweet Corn to be ready for harvest in approximately 75 days from planting.
Use the search above or browse by zone or state to find the perfect planting dates for your location.