# sweet corn



## jafl (Jun 3, 2009)

I have never before had the right combination of space, rain and no bad weather to make planting sweet corn worthwhile, but so far this year everything is going OK. I did grow some popcorn and Indian corn one year, but for all practical purpose this is my first year growing sweet corn. Can anyone give me any idea about how long it should take for corn to be ready to harvest once you have seen the silks formed?


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

In my experience, it has been 8-9 weeks from planting to silk & then another 8-9 weeks until harvest... don't forget the nitrogen! 

Corn Growth Stages


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## Magi (Feb 25, 2009)

my brother-in-law grows about 40 acres of sweet corn a year to sell locally.
usually he plants 60 and 90 day sweet corn. The weather has a lot to do with it. I have seen a patch that we thought was two weeks out get ready to pick in 5 days. Other patches we thought we would harvest in 2 days took 5. Sun and rain has a large effect on sweet corn.


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## jafl (Jun 3, 2009)

Magi said:


> my brother-in-law grows about 40 acres of sweet corn a year to sell locally.
> usually he plants 60 and 90 day sweet corn. The weather has a lot to do with it. I have seen a patch that we thought was two weeks out get ready to pick in 5 days. Other patches we thought we would harvest in 2 days took 5. Sun and rain has a large effect on sweet corn.


Do you know the name of the 60 day variety? I've never heard of such.

The only other year that I managed to grow sweet corn was still a crop failure. The ears started to fill out from the bottom so when I pulled open the husks and didn't see anything I left them on the plant. The ears filled out about half-way, but by the time I realized what had happened it was too late to get anything but starch.

I know you can put vegetable oil or mineral oil/baby oil on the silks to stop corn borers, but I do I need to treat the ears once or do I have to do it several times over the growing season? I do know that vegetable oil is not a good choice; it attracts ants.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Zea mays ( Tohono O'Odham 60-Day Corn )

Zea Mays (Maize)
( Tohono O'Odham 60-Day Corn )

A desert adapted corn traditionally grown by the Tohono O'Odham People with the summer rains in flooded fields. Fast growing, with small 6 to 10 inch ears, white kerneled. Originally domesticated by Mesoamericans, it is a staple food with many other traditional uses. Home gardeners love to grow corn, and there are many varieties suited to different climates. Plant seeds 1 inch deep in rows or clumps, two weeks after the last frost date. Corn needs rich soil, full sun and adequate moisture to produce good ears. It is wind pollinated, so if you want to save seed, you will need to either stagger the planting time of different varieties, or plant them 1/4 mile apart. Water deeply.


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