Baby corn is a delicious vegetable that adds crunch and visual appeal to stir-fries, salads, and more. While often found canned or jarred, fresh baby corn has a sweet, delicate flavor that’s hard to replicate with store-bought. Luckily, baby corn is easy and rewarding to grow at home. This complete guide will teach you how to grow and harvest your own baby corn.
What is Baby Corn?
Baby corn is simply immature corn harvested before the ears have had a chance to fully develop. Unlike mature corn, baby corn is picked only days after the first silks appear, when the ears are just 2-6 inches long. At this stage, the ears have not yet been pollinated, so baby corn is less sweet with a mild “corn” flavor and tender, crunchy texture.
Baby Corn Varieties
You can get baby corn from any kind of sweet or supersweet corn, but there are also certain hybrids that are only good for babies. These grow on shorter plants with more than one stalk and make very small, thin ears. Popular varieties include Baby Corn, Bonus, Minipop, and Snowbaby. Dwarf or container corn varieties also work well.
When to Plant
Baby corn needs warm soil and air to thrive, so wait until after the last spring frost date to sow seeds. Corn won’t tolerate cold conditions. Successive sowing every 2-3 weeks from late spring through midsummer ensures a steady harvest. In warm climates, fall sowing can provide a winter crop.
Where to Grow
Choose a sunny spot with nutrient-rich, well-draining soil Amend sandy soils with compost to improve moisture retention Work the top 6-12 inches of soil before planting. Shelter from wind helps prevent stalks from toppling over once ears develop.
Baby corn, on the other hand, can be grown in large pots on patios and balconies. Dwarf or container varieties work best. Use potting mix and keep the soil moist all the time. Move pots into partial shade during hot afternoons.
How to Plant Baby Corn
Sow seeds 1-2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart in rows 2 feet apart. Or scatter seeds across prepared soil for intensive cropping. Place corn inside a greenhouse or cold frame until sprouted to boost germination. Thin to 8-12 inches between plants once seedlings emerge.
Sprout seeds indoors 2-4 weeks before your last expected frost. Use biodegradable pots so roots won’t be disturbed at transplanting. Harden off seedlings, then transplant outdoors after weather warms. Take care not to damage shallow corn roots.
Caring for Baby Corn
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Water regularly, especially during dry spells, keeping soil consistently moist but not saturated. Corn has shallow roots. Mulch helps retain moisture.
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Apply balanced fertilizer when planting and again 3-4 weeks later. Too much nitrogen leads to leafy plants without ears.
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Weed carefully to avoid damaging corn’s shallow roots. Covering soil with mulch inhibits weeds.
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Support plants with stakes once ears develop if stalks seem unstable. Otherwise, corn needs little care as it grows quickly.
When Does Baby Corn Mature?
Check the plants every day once the first silks show up, which should be about three to five weeks after they were planted. When ears are still immature and have fresh green husks and silks sticking out, it’s time to harvest. Twist ears off the stalks by hand. Timely harvesting is key, as ears develop rapidly. Harvest every few days.
Harvesting Baby Corn
Use scissors or a knife to carefully peel back husks, exposing the small ears inside. Grasp the pale yellow silk and gently pull to remove it from the undeveloped kernels. Take care not to damage the slender cobs, which will be 2-6 inches long and about as thick as your pinky finger.
Storing the Harvest
Eat baby corn immediately after picking for best flavor and texture. Refrigerate uncooked ears in plastic bags up to 3 days. Blanch then freeze, pickle or can excess to enjoy year-round. Frozen baby corn lasts 8-12 months. Pickled or canned baby corn will keep 1 year.
Common Problems
Baby corn is less prone to insect pests thanks to its quick growth cycle. However, fungal diseases like rust, blight and mildew can be problematic in humid climates. Choose resistant hybrids when possible and avoid wetting foliage when watering. Good air circulation helps reduce disease risk. Rotate corn planting sites annually.
Uses for Baby Corn
The miniature ears are completely edible, including the small, immature kernels. simply remove husks and silks. Raw baby corn provides a nice crunch to salads, crudités and slaws. Blanch or steam 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender. Then add to stir-fries, sautés and more. Grilled baby corn makes a fun party snack or salad topper. Substitute for water chestnuts in Asian dishes.
Quick Summary of Growing Baby Corn:
- Grow from corn seeds after frost danger passes
- Harvest immature ears 2-6″ long before pollination
- Pick every few days for steady crop
- Eat fresh, pickle, can, freeze, or grill
- Tolerates partial shade and containers
- Warm weather crop, avoid cold temps
- Keep soil moist, fertilize monthly
- Susceptible to fungal diseases
With its quick growth cycle and delicate flavor, homegrown baby corn is a rewarding, trouble-free crop for gardeners. Follow these tips for a bountiful harvest of this fun-to-eat vegetable.
How does Baby Corn Grow?
Baby corn does not need to be sweet corn — it can be field, regular, or a super sweet variety. For this reason, the baby corn will be picked before it has been pollinated, so the kernels will not have stored any sugar yet. Instead of sweetness, what counts is ear quality, small kernel size, straight rows, and tapered tips.
Some types of corn have been bred to produce baby corn. These types of corn often have shorter stalks or more than one stalk, and each plant can produce up to 20 ears of corn.
What is Baby Corn?
We’ve all wondered about baby corn. Since it is so small and looks exactly like a bigger ear of corn, it must have come from a dwarf or miniature variety of corn. Or maybe not.
How is baby corn made? Baby corn, as mentioned above, is simply immature sweet corn. It is generally imported from east Asia and comes processed in jars or cans. In Asia, specific corn varieties are used to make baby corn, but it can be harvested from garden sweet corn as well.
How to grow Baby Corn in your back yard.
FAQ
Is baby corn easy to grow?
As long as you have a garden plot, baby corn is a pretty simple crop to take care of. If you only want the kernels, you don’t even have to worry about pollination.
How do you grow tiny corn?
Plant seeds about 4 inches (10 cm) apart in rows that are usually 30 to 36 inches (76 to 91 cm) apart in rich, well-drained soil. One way to grow and harvest baby corn is to harvest the lower ears for use as baby corn while allowing the upper ears to mature into full sized corn ears.
How many baby corn per plant?
Sweetcorn Minipop is the standard variety used for babycorn. It has a very tender pericarp which makes this an ideal variety for mini sweet corn. Best grown at high density, and harvested when cobs approximately 10cm in length. Each plant produces 5-6 cobs per plant.
Is baby corn different from regular corn?
Yes, baby corn is different from regular corn. While baby corn comes from the same plant as regular corn, it’s harvested very early in its development, before the ears have fully matured.