Choosing a place for sowing

Corn is absolutely not picky about the soil. If she is provided with proper care, she will grow well in any area. Corn loves very sunny areas and long daylight hours. Dear gardeners, you should remember that a draft is detrimental to this culture, so it is better to plant it in an area that is well protected from the winds. Corn gets along well with almost all summer cottage crops.

The right fertilizers

But corn is very demanding on fertilizers. Before planting, I usually dilute the soil with black soil. After two weeks, I spill the already sown soil with phosphorus fertilizers, they stimulate the growth and proper formation of the cob. Phosphorus also perfectly strengthens the root system of the plant. Three times a season I make sure to apply mineral fertilizers. If possible, it is best to replace mineral fertilizers with mullein.

In order for corn to give good growth and, in the future, fruits, it must be regularly fed with organic fertilizers.

Planting corn

It is best to plant corn in early May, when the soil warms up well after the winter cold. The seed of corn is sown at a fairly large distance from each other; corn does not like to be crowded. Only 7 - 9 seeds are planted per meter. If necessary, the field of emergence of sprouts, the corn bed can be thinned out.

Good care is the key to a good harvest

Corn care is not difficult, but constant. The whole secret of caring for this culture lies in the constant weeding and loosening of the soil (corn is very fond of breathing soil, so its rhizome receives a sufficient amount of oxygen). During the season, it requires a lot of dressings. It should be noted that during feeding, make sure that fertilizers do not fall on the leaves and ears. I harrow the cornbed twice. The first time I perform this procedure after the emergence of shoots, the second time, when the cobs are already formed. If the summer is very hot and not generous with rains, the corn should be watered (every 7-10 days, the irrigation schedule directly depends on the air temperature).

Harvesting

I start harvesting my favorite treat as soon as the cobs reach milk freshness. How to determine this? Quite simply, press on the grain; if milk sprinkles out of it, then the corn is ready for harvesting. Also, cobs of so-called wax freshness are well suited for eating. Older, coarser corn cobs are usually used as livestock feed. After harvesting, I usually harvest the stems as well. But I do not throw them away, but I process them into compost, after crushing them.

With the right care, you can achieve a rich harvest of healthy corn cobs.

Corn: Store until spring

Dry corn cobs are very good food for rabbits and poultry. But if you decide to leave corn for seeds, then you need to wait until the end of September. Cobs for seeds must be harvested before freezing, this is very important. As soon as the frost hits, the corn seed will become unsuitable for planting. Harvesting should be carried out in dry weather, since the cobs must be thoroughly dried before storage. As soon as the cobs are dry (this usually takes several hours), I start cleaning. There are usually two cleaning methods. The first method: the corn is immediately peeled, and then dried and stored on the cob. The second way: there is no need to tear off the shell from the cob, the cob is dried by hanging it, and stored in exactly the same form.Correctly dried corn can be stored for a very long time and is not a hassle. The cobs that are left for the seeds need to be rubbed well in your hands and the seed removed. The seeds are very well dried and stored in a dark place. Before planting corn, be sure to test your home seeds for germination.