If you plan on planting corn in your garden, consider how tall these plants grow.
Corn is popular for its oversized stalks that hive around people’s heads, so if your corn has stunted growth, there might be cause to worry.
Several environmental factors cause corn stalks not to grow tall, but that doesn’t necessarily affect your harvest.
Why Is My Corn Not Growing Tall?
If you’ve planted sweet corn and find that it doesn’t grow tall, it could be due to heat stress or lack of water. Other reasons why your corn may not be growing tall are soil compaction, insufficient light, and extremely cold temperatures. Corn requires rich soil, warm temperatures, and adequate irrigation to grow right.
Understanding Why Your Corn Is Not Growing Tall
Corn plants are the first thing people see when they walk into your compound due to their undeniable height. Naturally, corn plants get tall; their leaves get long and wide, with stems thickening as they mature.
It is, however, possible to have short corn plants, which could mean that there is something the plants are lacking. There are a few reasons why corn doesn’t grow tall in your planting area.
With the right conditions, these plants develop large foliage, which is used for photosynthesis and more energy production.
The thick stems aid in the transportation of nutrients and water to promote the development of new buds. These conditions include sufficient amounts of humidity, bright and indirect sunlight, heat, and water.
When these conditions aren’t met, the plants have stunted growth and don’t get tall.
Type of Corn
It’s important to consider how tall your corn plants will grow before choosing a planting location. The height you anticipate will help you plan how and where to plant your corn plants.
Different corn types grow to various heights, so short corn is not necessarily a sign of trouble for corn plants.
Short corn is popular for home gardens, and it’s short enough for other plants to get sufficient sunlight and tall enough to shade plants that don’t do well in full sun.
Some corn types have an exceptionally tall height, while others remain dwarf. Dwarf corn is suitable if you have minimal space to plant.
These plants use less room compared to other varieties, and they are suitable for small gardens.
Other Reasons Why Your Corn Plants Aren’t Growing Tall
If it has nothing to do with the type of corn you’ve planted, there are other reasons why corn plants have stunted growth.
Corn plants that remain short don’t reach their full heights due to any of the following factors:
Inadequate Water
Corn plants require water in plenty, especially young plants. When young corn is subjected to dry conditions, the mature plant height is subdued.
Corn plants that don’t get sufficient water reach their full heights when their growth is stunted.
Different corn varieties have different growth and maturity rates, but all new plants require plenty of water.
If you want your plants to have the best survival chances, plant them in soil with good drainage and water them constantly if they don’t receive enough irrigation from rainfall.
Dry conditions limit the plant’s ability to absorb soil nutrients, affecting growth.
Soil Compaction
When soil doesn’t have good drainage, it gets compacted. This causes oversaturation and affects normal plant growth.
These soil conditions hinder root development which affects growth and forces the plant to branch laterally. Corn plants require sufficient water, but if the soil is overwatered, the plant develops growth issues, and development issues to mature, tall plants are also exhibited.
Corn plants require lots of nitrogen for development. When the soil is nitrogen deficient, these plants develop stunted growth.
Adding nitrogen fertilizers to replenish soil nutrients helps corn that is shorter than normal.
Insufficient Light
Corn plants require lots of bright but indirect sunlight to thrive. When exposed to strong and direct sunlight, the plant’s growth is affected.
Plants planted in sites with full afternoon sun are hit by the direct, intense rays, which isn’t good for growth.
Heat Stress
Corn plants don’t do well in areas having low humidity levels. They grow taller and faster when subjected to high humidity and temperatures because when humidity is increased, transpiration is minimized.
This means that the plants don’t need to conserve as much water, and the corn leaves unfold as a result.
Opening of the leaves allows accelerated corn growth because the opened stomata result in more photosynthesis.
Temperature
Corn grows mostly during the late stage, where the internode cells are expanded to elongate the stalk. In cool temperatures, cellular rigidity slows down growth, which causes stunted height and foliage in corn plants.
However, the size of the leaf doesn’t affect the grain size or how much produce you harvest at the end of the season.
The new growth at the top of the plant contributes to grain size with the right conditions, but if the cool weather conditions persist, leaf development is decelerated.
Cold Drafts
If your corn plants aren’t getting tall, it could be they are affected by cold drafts.
Plants that are regularly exposed to cold drafts have stunted growth, so these plants should be planted away from doors and windows that are regularly opened as they let in cold air blasts.
As such, there are fewer leaves on the corn plant, and this affects its growth.
Frequently Asked Questions about Why My Corn Is Not Growing Tall
Do short corn plants affect yield?
Corn with stunted growth doesn’t necessarily affect the yield amount, as long as the plant gets nutrients and there are no issues of excess moisture. Corn that is short due to corn variety or shorter internodes has no impact on grain size.
Are there restrictions on corn varieties I can grow in my garden?
If there will be an issue with your garden space that will limit access to bright, indirect sunlight, read the seed packet when buying to determine which type is best for your space. Otherwise, you can grow any corn variety you choose to.
What are the right conditions to grow healthy corn?
Corn does well in fertile soil with nutrients and good drainage. The plant should be well tilled and grown in 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit and above 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night. The plants shouldn’t be planted in areas exposed to cold and frost or in moist soil, which stunts the crop’s growth. Depending on the year you plant your crops and the hybrid type, you can determine their stalk height and growth rate.
Conclusion
Mature corn plants are tall. If your crops remain short even after maturing, chances are there could be issues like temperature, water, or soil causing the stunted growth.
Heat stress has a similar effect on these crops, and short plants cause lower yields because they are less successful in pollination.