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When to plant sweet corn
Plant sweet corn 1–3 weeks after the last spring frost. Wait until the soil is at least 60°F. That works out to zone 5b (mid May to late May), zone 7a (late April to early May) and zone 9a (early March to late March).
Sweet corn planting dates by zone
| Zone | Plant outdoors | sweet corn ready from |
|---|---|---|
| 4a | May 22 – Jun 5 | Aug 2 |
| 4b | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 31 |
| 5a | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 29 |
| 5b | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 23 |
| 6a | May 7 – May 21 | Jul 18 |
| 6b | May 1 – May 15 | Jul 12 |
| 7a | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jul 3 |
| 7b | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 24 |
| 8a | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Jun 14 |
| 8b | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 3 |
| 9a | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 20 |
| 9b | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Apr 24 |
How to plant sweet corn
| Plant as | seeds outdoors |
|---|---|
| Soil temperature | 60°F or warmer |
| Depth | 1–1.5 in |
| Spacing | 8–12 in in blocks of 4+ rows |
| Light | Full sun |
| Time to harvest | 65–90 days |
Plant in blocks, not one long row: corn is wind-pollinated.
Keep supersweet varieties apart from other types to avoid starchy kernels.
Sow a new block every two weeks for a longer harvest.
When to harvest sweet corn
Pick about 20 days after silks appear, when silks are brown and kernels squirt milky juice.
Exact dates for your town: planting calendar · frost dates by state.
More vegetables to plant
Tomatoes · Bell peppers · Potatoes · Pumpkins · Cucumbers · Okra · Zucchini · Watermelon