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Zea mays

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
ZEE-uh MAZE
Description

Grows like sweet corn.  Corn is a warm weather crop and should not be planted until the soil warms up to 60° F. It is one of the taller home garden crops, so locate it where it will not shade out other crops. Plant in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil. Several rules apply to insure an adequate corn crop:

Corn is wind pollinated, and to insure adequate pollination, sow seeds in several rows to form a square, or on hills with several plants in a circle. A minimum of 12 or more plants is usually necessary. Do not plant in one long row.

Corn is a heavy feeder and must have ample nitrogen and water at all times, but water the soil, not the plant or pollination could suffer.

Corn roots do not tolerate disturbance well, so when thinning corn, cut the excess sprouts instead of pulling them. Do the same with nearby weeds and after corn is established mulch to reduce weeds rather than cultivating around their roots and damaging them.

Cross-pollination from other corn varieties can adversely affect some sweet corns, so follow cultivar label directions precisely to avoid pollen contamination from other corn. 5. Time of harvest is important for some sweet corns, so follow harvest directions carefully for the particular variety you are growing. Hard corns need to dry on the stalk, so harvest time is not a particular issue for them.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common sweet corn diseases as well as a factsheet on common insect pests and other problems.

VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Vegetable Garden with Pollinator Plants in Mt. Pleasant
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Albovariegata'
  • 'Harlequin'
  • 'Quadrincolor'
  • 'Red Stalker'
  • 'Variegata'
    Also called Variegated Corn
'Albovariegata', 'Harlequin', 'Quadrincolor', 'Red Stalker', 'Variegata'
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#summer annual#edible plant#fall interest#vegetable garden#vegetable#annual vegetable#warm season vegetable#vhfn#vhfn-v#annual#early childhood#child#children#preschool#early care#accent#easy edibles
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Albovariegata'
  • 'Harlequin'
  • 'Quadrincolor'
  • 'Red Stalker'
  • 'Variegata'
    Also called Variegated Corn
'Albovariegata', 'Harlequin', 'Quadrincolor', 'Red Stalker', 'Variegata'
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#summer annual#edible plant#fall interest#vegetable garden#vegetable#annual vegetable#warm season vegetable#vhfn#vhfn-v#annual#early childhood#child#children#preschool#early care#accent#easy edibles
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Zea
    Species:
    mays
    Family:
    Poaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Annual, Vegetable
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Mexico
    Distribution:
    United States, Brazil, Mexico, France
    Edibility:
    Edibile
    Dimensions:
    Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Edible
    Vegetable
    Warm Season Vegetable
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Showy
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Caryopsis
    Fruit Length:
    > 3 inches
    Fruit Width:
    1-3 inches
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Insignificant
    Panicle
    Spike
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Variegated
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Undulate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Black Walnut