A Helpful Guide For Determining How & When to Harvest Corn

Harvesting, shucking, and eating corn is a wonderful American pastime we can still enjoy today. Picking corn is a sign of fall and a highlight of my gardening year!

All season, we have watched the corn grow taller, become greener, form tassels, and ripen. The fruits of our labor are just within our reach now: beautiful, ripe, organic corn! But, do you know how to tell when your sweet corn is ready?

This guide will tell you when corn is ripe, when to harvest corn, and the best way to pick corn to prolong its freshness.

Growing Quality Food in Your Home Garden

Self-sufficiency becomes the goal when quality is not a priority for the grocery store. Growing your own food means enjoying fresh, healthy organic produce right at home.

But you need to know when and how to harvest your garden so you can get the most out of your efforts! That is why I’m sharing this blog post and others like when to harvest garlic, how to harvest lettuce, when to harvest zucchini, when to harvest pumpkins, when to harvest carrots, and when to harvest onions.

Benefits of Growing Corn Plants

I love having full control over the growing practices that affect my food, including choosing non-GMO corn seed and choosing what is (or is not) sprayed on my corn. I also enjoy different types of corn at home that are hard to find in stores.

To grow corn, you'll spend money on seeds and supplies up front, but have the potential of getting a great return on your investment.

Key Indicators of When to Harvest Corn

Harvesting sweet corn at the right time is imperative because if you pick too early, the corn kernels will not be mature, but too late, the kernels will be very starchy. Many people ask, "How do I know when to pick my corn?"

When you plant corn, pay attention to the number of days to maturity for that variety. Counting out that many days, make a note on your calendar or in your garden planner of when the approximate harvest window will be.

When the harvesting time approaches, start watching for these signs so you can enjoy your corn at its peak:

• Fullness - Look for nice full ears of corn and feel the kernels through the husk. They should be plump, full, and rounded all the way up the ear.

• Silk - When ready to harvest, the silks extending out of the ear should be brown, wiry, and dry.

Check your corn often and only harvest the fully developed ears. Keep watch for any pests or diseases (like corn smut) as you inspect your corn plants.

How to Properly Harvest Corn

Once you have found an ear of corn ready to harvest, don’t just grab it and yank on it. Corn stalks are easily knocked over or uprooted.

Instead, hold the stalk in one hand and the ear of corn in the other. Gently bend the ear of corn down, away from the stalk, until the neck snaps. Then, still grasping the stalk and the ear of corn, pull up quickly on the ear to remove it from the stalk.

Leave any undersized, unripe corn on the stalk to continue growing and harvest them when they are ready.

Storing and Preserving Your Corn Harvest

Keep your corn fresh and tasty by storing it in the refrigerator crisper drawer with the husks still on the ears. For best flavor, enjoy it within the first five days or so. You can also preserve corn to enjoy it all year.