Sweet Corn plant profile
Zea mays
An annual vegetable for full sun.
Last updated .
When to plant
When to plant Sweet Corn
Direct sow
at your last spring frost to 2 weeks after your last spring frost
Growing conditions
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 1 in / week
- Planting depth
- 1 in
- Soil pH
- 5.8 to 7
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart, rows 30 in
- Days to maturity
- 60 to 90 days (from sowing)
Common problems
Watch for these
Also watch for: european corn borer, smut, rust, poor kernel fill.
By hardiness zone
Sweet Corn by zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Evidence trail
Evidence behind this profile
Original extension and institutional publications behind the planting, care, and safety facts on this page.
- Growing sweet corn in home gardens
University of Minnesota Extension. Supports plant and row spacing (direct), planting depth (direct), water needs (direct), soil pH (direct), and common problems (direct). Checked 2026-06-11.
- How to Grow Sweet Corn in Your Garden
Utah State University Extension. Supports direct-sowing timing (normalized), days to maturity (direct), and sun requirement (direct). Checked 2026-06-11.