- The right time
- Allow the seeds to swell
- Prefer or sow directly?
- Which location and row spacing are necessary?
Growing sweet corn is also worthwhile on a small scale for those who either want to use it themselves or feed it to livestock. Sowing is not child's play - if you disregard a few points, you have to expect that the cultivation will go wrong.
Sweetcorn can be grown indoors or sown directly into the field
The right time
Sweet corn can be grown in pots from the end of March. If you do not prefer the sweet corn, but sow it directly, you should wait until no more frost is to be expected. According to the farmer's rule, this is the case after the ice saints in May. The floor should have warmed up to at least 10 °C.
Allow the seeds to swell
The seeds of sweet corn, which can germinate for an average of 5 years, should be pre-soaked for 8 to 10 hours before sowing. Use warm water for this. After pre-soaking, the seeds are ready for sowing.
Prefer or sow directly?
If you want to be on the safe side, prefer the sweet corn at home:
- Place 2 grains (point down) in each seed hole
- Sow 3 to 4 cm deep
- cover with earth
- Germination time: 8 to 10 days
- put in a bright place
- keep soil moistured
- after emergence, remove the weaker plant
When direct sowing, it is best to cover the seeds with foil after sowing. This accelerates the germination process and reduces the risk of freezing. Remember: Sweetcorn should always be sown in at least a double row so the flowers can later pollinate each other!
Which location and row spacing are necessary?
Sow or plant the corn in a sunny spot. This plant is particularly warm and needs a lot of sunshine to grow and ripen its fruit quickly. Wind-protected locations are ideal.
A distance between the rows of 60 to 80 cm and from plant to plant of 30 to 40 cm is recommended. The floor should have the following characteristics:
- profound
- nutritious
- likes calcareous
- pH between 5.5 and 7
tips
Don't sow the sweetcorn too early! Wait until there is definitely no more frost. If sweet corn is sown and the temperature falls below 5 °C, it quickly freezes.