Plant maize - all information for a successful cultivation

Corn - Growing the delicious gold of the Incas in your own garden

Which plants are suitable for growing in the garden?

Although there has been a large number of maize plantings on German fields for some years now, it is forage or hybrid maize. This is not suitable for human consumption. In the garden at home, on the other hand, sugar and vegetable corn varieties are grown, which taste very sweet due to the high starch content. The golden yellow sweet corn variety Golden Bantam is one of the most popular varieties.

Can corn also thrive on the balcony?

The decorative maize plants also thrive on the balcony, provided the plants are placed in sufficiently large and deep pots and are in a sunny, sheltered place. The plants grown on the windowsill are planted at a distance of at least 20 x 30 centimeters. For cultivation on the balcony, varieties that remain small are best suited, such as strawberry corn, an ornamental corn variety. Please note that maize is deep-rooted, which means that the planters should be very deep.

In which location does maize thrive best?

Maize needs a sunny location that is as sheltered from the wind as possible.

Which soil is suitable for growing maize?

Your corn plants need nutrient-rich, deep soil in order to achieve a suitable yield. Before planting it on the bed, compost should be put in the soil.

Does corn have to be preferred?

Since the sensitive maize plants can only be brought to the bed quite late, they should be moved to a sheltered place. Of course, you can also sow the seeds directly on the bed, but then you will have to wait longer until harvest.

When is the best time to plant on the bed?

The plant does not tolerate frost, which is why seeds or early plants should only be brought to the bed after the ice saints (around early to mid May).

Which fertilizer is useful when?

Before sowing or planting, the soil should be well fertilized with lime. In the course of the growth period, about three nitrogen applications should also be made. In autumn, the soil can be prepared for planting with the addition of phosphorus and potash.

Diseases and pests

If maize is grown in the garden, diseases and pests are rare. To avoid possible damage from corn blight or cob rot, corn should not be applied to the same bed for several years in a row.