How to Propagate Corn Seed

Prepare a site in a full-sun area with fertile and well-drained soil. Sweet corn prefers a soil pH of 5.8 to 7. Add compost or well-rotted manure to soil prior to planting to improve fertility, as recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension.

Plant seeds at soil temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Corn is very sensitive to cold temperature and seeds will not germinate in cool or wet soil.

Sow kernels at a depth of 1/2 inch if soil is cool and moist and about 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep if you are planting in drier and warmer ground. Space your rows about 3 feet apart for better pollination. Space the kernels or seeds 1 foot apart.

Water well, supplying enough to saturate the soil. Corn plants have shallow roots and lack of water, especially during its active growth period and vegetable development, leads to poor growth of ears. Water more frequently if you are growing in sandy soils.

Weed regularly to eliminate competition for water and nutrients. Do not use chemicals to control weeds in corn.

Harvest corn when the silks have started to dry and brown, and kernels are juicy, plump and produce a milky substance when squeezed.