DibbleGrowing corn: from seed to harvest
Sow corn once the soil is warm and nights stay mild. Plant in blocks of several short rows, not one long row, for good pollination. Water well while the tassels and silks form.
Planting dates for corn by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | not needed | May 31 | August 10 |
| Zone 4 | not needed | May 24 | July 31 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | May 18 | July 13 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | May 10 | July 14 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | April 26 | July 3 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | April 1 | May 31 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | March 9 | May 9 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | February 8 | May 9 |
| Zone 11 | not needed | January 1 | March 2 |
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Sweet Corn:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Sweet Corn is in the grasses family. Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder. Follow with legumes to restore the soil. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Tomato
When to plantPepper
When to plantPotato
When to plantOnion
When to plantGarlic
When to plantLettuce
When to plant
Questions
When should I plant corn?
It depends on your zone. Sweet Corn is a tender crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow corn?
About 75 days from sowing to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 10 days after that.
What grows well with corn?
Good companions include Bean (bush), squash, Cucumber. Keep it away from Tomato.
Plant at the right time this season
Dibble builds your calendar in under a minute. Free to start, no account needed.