Learn to Grow Black Aztec Corn

Direct Seed: 4" Apart

Germination: 4-21 Days

Rows Apart: 36-48"

Light: Full Sun

Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors 1" deep after danger of frost has passed. For good pollination and full ears, plant in blocks of 3-6 rows instead of one long row. Thin seedlings to 8" apart. Corn is a heavy feeder and does best in well-drained fertile soil with plenty of water.

How to Care for Corn Plants - 

Water plots well after planting and keep them consistently moist through germination and harvest. As the weather becomes warmer, increase watering. Sufficient moisture is crucial for plants to develop and produce properly. Corn should be fertilized with a nitrogen rich food when plants are about 12 to 18 inches high, and weeds should be controlled so they do not steal moisture and nutrients from your crop. Corn will produce a fairly shallow root system, so take care not to damage it when removing weeds. Weed control in corn plots is best achieved by a thick mulching, which also helps to maintain moisture.

If you have enough land planted with corn, your plants will pollinate by themselves with the help of passing wind. Keep in mind that each strand of silk MUST be pollinated by the pollen found in the tassels above the corn stalks in order for the kernels to mature. Most pollen shedding occurs after the morning dew has dried, around 9 to 11am.

If you only have a small corner with sweet corn, don’t expect self-pollination to happen. Between a small number of plants, pollen shed from the tassels may blow away before enough of its microscopic grains land on the corn silks. If there is not enough pollen from the tassels to spread around and touch the silks, the kernels will not develop. Therefore, it is most important to plant your corn in blocks, never in just one or two long rows.

If necessary, hand pollinate your corn by snapping the tassels (male part) of a few stalks and use them like feather dusters over the emerging silks (female part). Do this each day for a week, ensuring that you do not remove too many tassels before the week’s end.