There are many varieties of corn grown by farmers and homeowners. Some varieties are cultivated to obtain feed grain, others - green mass. In the food industry, sugar corn is used. It is possible to use its mature cobs both in boiled form and in canned.
Biological features
It is a sweet corn high (up to 3 m) annual herb subtropical plant with a well-developed root system. The stem of this plant can reach 7 cm in diameter. Sugar maize female flowers are cobbed, and male flowers are in panicles. The fruit is a kidney-shaped or rounded kernel. It may have different colors, depending on the variety. Most often varieties with yellow ears are grown.
From fodder sweet corn is distinguished by more tender leaves and lower height. The ears on it are developing faster. Flowering can begin already when the plants reach a height of 20-25 cm.
Growing Benefits
A detailed description has been given of sugar corn. The plant, therefore, is tall, with a developed root system. Of course, in the Russian climate, to get a good harvest this subtropical culture will need to pay some attention. However, time costs will certainly be rewarded handsomely. Among the most healthy crops, corn is one of the first places. Its fruits contain a third of all trace elements necessary for a person. Also, corn kernels are rich in all kinds of vitamins and other beneficial substances. Contain the fruits of this plant and a large amount of sugars. Hence the name of the group.
The most popular varieties
Of course, the gardener, who decided to start growing this wonderful unpretentious crop, should first of all take care of the purchase of seed. There are many varieties of sweet corn. In Russia, in most cases, early ripe varieties are grown. Ordinary corn in our climate simply does not have time to ripen. The most popular varieties among Russian gardeners are:
Kuban sugar;
Spirit F1;
Gourmet
Dobrynya.
Kuban corn: the advantages of the variety
This is an unpretentious medium early low-bushy variety. Kuban sugar corn ripens on 92-96 days after emergence. Grain in this variety is large and has a bright yellow color. The cobs themselves can reach a length of 19-24 cm. The advantages of Kuban sugar corn are primarily attributed to high taste and versatility. Ears can not only be boiled, but also canned for the winter. The variety requires hilling before panicle formation.
Sugar Corn Spirit F1
This early variety is most often grown by seedlings. Using this technology, cobs can be obtained by the end of July - beginning of August. Sweet F1 Spirit F1, among other things, has a stable yield in all years. It also refers to its undeniable merits. Grains in Spirit F1, as well as in Kuban, are very large and sweet. Many gardeners consider this variety the most delicious of all existing at the moment.
Variety Gourmand
The main advantage of this variety is considered to be high productivity. Also, sugar gourmand corn is very resistant to various diseases. Her vegetation period lasts only 70-75 days. During this time, cobs grow to 20 cm in length. The grains of this variety are wide, very juicy and sweet. Most often, cobs Gourmands are eaten boiled. But canning them is also allowed.
Corn Dobrynya
The advantages of this variety include primarily the very large sizes of ears. An early hybrid of Dobrynya can grow up to 170 cm in height. You can choose this variety for cultivation, including those summer residents, the land on the site which is not too good. To the composition of the soil, the Dobrynya hybrid is completely undemanding. Also, this early sweet corn is not at all afraid of such common diseases as mosaic and rust. Ears of this variety ripen on the 70th day after planting. Unlike many other hybrids, they can be collected not only in the phase of milk maturity, but also dried up.
Seed preparation
So, a variety of sugar corn is selected, and planting material is purchased. Next, you need to do seed preparation. In principle, they can simply be planted immediately in the ground. However, the prepared material will rise faster, and the corn itself will subsequently grow much more healthy and productive. Presowing preparatory measures are as follows:
Seeds are laid out on a sheet of paper in an even layer and placed in a sunny place for 5 days.
Heated material is soaked for a day in a warm solution of potassium permanganate (weak) or a growth stimulator.
Seeds prepared in this way will sprout a few days faster.
Where to plant?
A good corn crop can only be harvested if it receives sufficient sunlight during the season. Therefore, to place this plant is either on the south or south-west side of the house, or on a flat plot, provided there are no large trees nearby. It is very good if, on the other side, from where the prevailing winds blow in a given area, there will be some kind of obstacle (building, bushes, etc.). Sweetcorn is a tall plant, and it can simply break or “wind up” it in the wind.
In most cases, summer residents place corn along the fences or next to the terrace. If desired, this culture can be used as an element of landscape design. For example, it is easy to make a temporary hedge out of it when zoning a site.
The best predecessors
Planting sweetcorn can be made almost after any other garden crop, under which fertilizers were applied. The best precursors for this plant are potatoes, cabbage and peas. It is not recommended to sow this crop after millet. The fact is that these plants can be affected by the same pest - a corn moth. It is also not recommended to plant this crop after beets or next to it.
Very often, corn is placed next to cucumbers and lashes of the latter are planted along its stems and branches. You can plant this plant next to a pumpkin. However, the stalks of corn under the whips of this crop should not be adapted. At a pumpkin they are too heavy.
What should be the soil
One of the features of corn is the low soil composition. This plant will feel good both on podzolic soil, and on chernozem or even peat bog. However, it is best to still plant this crop in light, well-permeable soil and water, with an acidity of 6-7 pH. An area for corn has been dug up to be as deep as possible. After all, the roots of this plant are able to go down by 1.5-2 m.
Before planting, it is advisable to introduce organic fertilizers (rotted manure, humus) and some phosphorus mineral fertilizing (for example, superphosphate at the rate of 10 g / m 2 ) into the furrow.
How to sow
They begin to plant corn in mid-early May, that is, at a time when the soil warms up to a temperature of at least 10 grams. Sowing time should be chosen taking into account the fact that this culture does not tolerate night frosts. Sugar corn is planted in rows. The distance between the bushes should be 25-35 cm. Between the rows leave 60-70 cm of free space.
They deepen the seeds of sweet corn into the ground by about 5-6 cm. They cannot be placed too close to the surface of the soil. The fact is that corn kernels are one of the favorite delicacies of many bird species. After planting, the site, of course, should be additionally watered.
Sweet corn: growing seedlings
As already mentioned, corn is a plant later. And even from the early varieties of the crop you have to wait a long time - at least 2-3 months. Therefore, many summer residents grow this culture in seedlings. At the same time, gardeners use approximately the following planting technology:
A special substrate composed of garden soil and compost in a proportion of 1x1 is poured into the boxes.
Seeds are pre-germinated at room temperature in wet foil paper.
Plant them to a depth of 3-4 cm.
Early varieties of sugar corn are planted for seedlings in late April - early May - about 25 days before being transported to the open ground. Since the transplant does not tolerate the corn too well, special peat glasses can be used instead of boxes. In any case, during transportation to the open ground, it is worthwhile to carefully monitor that the roots of the plants are not damaged. If there is no need to get a very early crop, it is better to sow corn directly into the soil.
What fertilizers are needed for sweet corn during growth
Like any other garden crop, corn needs to be fed from time to time. This plant is very large, and it needs a lot of nutrients. Sugar corn is fed at least twice a season. When planting, as already mentioned, it is useful to introduce organic and phosphorus fertilizers into the furrow. Corn also responds very well to products containing a large amount of zinc. It can be, for example, PMU-7.
The second time the plants are fertilized two weeks after planting. In this case, it is better to use nitrogen-containing products.
What fertilizers are needed for sweet corn during growth, will be recognized by the state of the bushes themselves. Various kinds of negative changes may indicate a lack of certain elements in the soil. So, for example, a lack of nitrogen will manifest itself in yellowing and drying of the leaves (subject to periodic watering). Potassium starvation is manifested by a suspension of development and the appearance of “burns” on the ends of the leaves. With a lack of phosphorus, the green tissues of the corn will begin to redden.
How to water
Water in the process of growth requires quite a lot. To allow drying of the soil under this plant is not recommended. Otherwise, the corn will stop growing, and its ears will not develop. It is also impossible to transfuse this culture. This can lead to soil compaction. Without oxygen, the roots of the plant will cease to grow well, and bushes that have not received nutrients will significantly reduce productivity.
Especially hard corn is sugar, the cultivation of which is a relatively simple matter, it needs moisture in the formation of ears. At this time, you need to water it more often. If the plant has enough water, it will certainly please the owners with juicy and sweet grains.
Signs of ripening
Corn should be harvested on time. Grains of unripe cobs are not too tasty and do not differ in juiciness. Overexposed fruits become too hard and dry. Corn is harvested usually 20-25 days after flowering begins - in the phase of milk ripeness. During this period, the fruits of this plant contain the most sugars. The main signs of ripening are:
drying of the edges of the upper wrappers;
darkening of pistil filaments at the top of the cob;
tight fit to each other grains;
uniform color of all fruits.
When pressed on the ripened grains, their shell bursts, and the milk-sugar liquid flows out.
Corn is usually harvested for several consecutive weeks. Cob on the bushes are not formed simultaneously. Harvested crops should be immediately processed - boil or preserve. The fact is that when stored on the cob, the percentage of sugar content decreases very quickly. Harvesting corn is early in the morning. It was at this time that most sugar accumulated in grains. If you still have to store the corn, it is best to freeze it first.
Diseases and Pests
To infection of various kinds of fungi and bacteria, corn is quite stable. However, sometimes this plant still gets sick. The most common problem is the mold growth of seedlings. This usually happens when seeds are planted too early. Cold air and soil under conditions of high humidity provoke the development of penicilli fungi. They are struggling with this disease with the help of various fungicides.
Also, sometimes sweet corn is affected by helminthosporiasis. In this case, leaves, internodes, roots, and sometimes cobs can suffer. This disease manifests itself usually in the second half of summer in the form of large brown spots. For its prevention, it is necessary to burn the post-harvest residues of corn.
Reviews gardeners
Of course, corn is inferior in popularity to summer residents by the main crops, such as, for example, cucumbers or tomatoes. Far from all gardeners grow it. However, there are loyal followers of this wonderful plant. Most lovers of this culture explain their love for it primarily by the opportunity to diversify the family table. After all, boiled ears are really very tasty and also contain a lot of substances useful to the body.
Sugar corn also deserved good reviews because it can be used to create special growth conditions, for example, for the same cucumbers. Planting corn beds with this crop allows you to create a special "greenhouse" microclimate. Thus, in the vicinity of this plant, cucumbers develop much faster.