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How to grow sweetcorn

Frost-tender · Grass family

When to sow and plant

  • Sow outdoors 6–20 May
  • Plant out 6–20 May

Frost-tender: everything 17 days later, so it only goes outside once there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years.

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Sow outdoors: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (University of Maryland Extension: Growing Sweet Corn in a Home Garden)
  • Plant out: 0–2 weeks after the last frost (RHS: How to grow sweetcorn)

Good and bad neighbours

Good neighbours · 7

  • Pole beanExpert rule· C

    Corn works as a pole for the beans and saves space. Whether the mix yields more is unclear.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Pole bean

  • Bush beanExpert rule· C

    Bush beans cope with the corn's shade and root at a different depth – little competition.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Bush bean

  • Pumpkin and winter squashExpert rule· C

    Squash fills the space between corn plants, shades the soil and suppresses weeds.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Pumpkin and winter squash

  • Butterhead lettuce, Loose-leaf lettuce, Iceberg lettuceExpert rule· C

    Lettuce grows fast between the corn and gets shade there; it is picked before the corn closes in.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Butterhead lettuceLoose-leaf lettuceIceberg lettuce

  • RadishExpert rule· C

    Radishes are harvested between the corn before it shades them out.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Radish

  • CucumberExpert rule· C

    Small pickling cucumbers can climb the corn, saving space.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Cucumber

  • SpinachExpert rule· C

    Early spinach uses the gaps while the corn is small – it must be gone by mid-June or the corn suffers.

    C: Expert rule with a reason

    Spinach

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 2

  • CeleriacLore: bad· D

    Traditionally seen as bad neighbours; no proven reason.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Celeriac

  • BeetrootLore: bad· D

    Traditionally seen as bad neighbours; no proven reason.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Beetroot

Crop rotation

Our sources give no separate break for this family.

  • The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2030.

At a glance

Family
Grass family (Poaceae)
Frost
Tender to frost
Spacing (row × plant)
61–76 × 18–23 cm (24–30 × 7–9 in)
Plants per m²
9.1
Per square foot (30 × 30 cm)
3 plants
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 60–90 days from sowing

Spacing according to USU Extension: How to Grow Sweet Corn in Your Garden. Other sources: 34–45 × 34–45 cm (13–18 × 13–18 in) (RHS: How to grow sweetcorn).

Questions and answers

When can I plant out sweetcorn?

Plant out, average for Germany: 6–20 May. That is the date after which there is no frost in 9 out of 10 years. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant sweetcorn?

61–76 × 18–23 cm (24–30 × 7–9 in) (row × plant), according to USU Extension: How to Grow Sweet Corn in Your Garden.

What grows well next to sweetcorn?

Pole bean: Good neighbour (C), Bush bean: Good neighbour (C), Pumpkin and winter squash: Good neighbour (C), Butterhead lettuce, Loose-leaf lettuce, Iceberg lettuce: Good neighbour (C) and Radish: Good neighbour (C).

How long a break do sweetcorn need in the same bed?

Our sources give no separate break for this family. The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

Sources

Show 13 sources
  1. Colorado State University Extension, GardenNotes #720: Vegetable Planting Guide
  2. University of Maryland Extension: Growing Sweet Corn in a Home Garden
  3. USU Extension: How to Grow Sweet Corn in Your Garden
  4. RHS: How to grow sweetcorn
  5. NYC Parks GreenThumb: Square Foot Gardening (Growing Veggies in NYC Training)
  6. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  7. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  8. RHS (Guy Barter): Three ways to use companion planting
  9. Oregon State University Extension: Companion Planting (Guides for beginning gardeners, Juni 2021)
  10. Utah State University Extension (Mohr, Trundle, Hagevik): Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens – Companion Planting (Juli 2025)
  11. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  12. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)
  13. Bayerische Gartenakademie (LWG): Merkblatt 2104 Mischkulturen im Gemüsegarten (Mai 2020)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.