Corn Crops and Diseases

Plant Care for a Corn Plant Instruction

1. Clear out the weeds around the corn plant by hand to prevent damage to the plant's root system. Add some hay mulch around the corn plant to keep weed growth down and to retain moisture in the soil.


2. Check the soil around the corn plant on a daily basis to ensure it does not dry out completely. Keep track of weekly rainfall, and thoroughly soak the soil at the base of the corn plant with a watering can when there has been no rain for a week.


3. Add 1 tbsp. of 10-10-10 fertilizer to the soil at the base of the corn plant when the plan grows to about a foot to a foot and a half. Mix the fertilizer into the soil with a small hand rake. Moisten the soil with a watering can to allow the fertilizer to soak into the soil.


4. Watch for growth of corn silk strands on the plant, and harvest the ears of corn about 20 days after the silk appears. Pull the silk and corn husks away from the corn ear, and check for ripeness by examining the color and plumpness of the kernels.


5. Let the harvested plant dry out, and then chop it down with a hoe or pruning shears. Cut the cornstalk into smaller sections, and compost it to prevent it harboring bugs while standing in the garden.