Growing guide

Best time to plant corn in Australia

Zea mays

Also called Maize, Sweet corn

Corn is a big, sturdy grass whose female flower clusters become ears packed with kernels, the part that gets eaten. Sugar-rich sweet corn is the type grown for the table, while field corn goes to livestock and into products such as cornmeal. Most modern kernels are white or yellow, though other colours exist.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

When to sow

ZoneMonthsHow well checked
CoolOct to JanMatches local guides
TemperateSep to JanMatches local guides
SubtropicalAug to FebMatches local guides
TropicalJan to NovBroadly matches local guides, with some differences
AridSep to JanMatches local guides

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly in the bed
Sowing depth
4cm
Plant spacing
60cm
Row spacing
76cm
Height
290cm
Germination
5-15 days, in soil above 12°C (18°C for supersweet types)
Time to harvest
75 days
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Full sun
Life cycle
annual

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Further reading on this plant