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Zea mays

Corn · Indian Corn · Maize

Family PoaceaeGenus Zea

A cob of dark blue-gray kernels in tight rows, its pale husk still attached, beside seven loose kernels and a one-centimeter scale.
SeedRoger CulosCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Annual, Vegetable, Warm Season VegetableExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
annualPlants of the World Online
Height
5-8 ft1.5-2.4 mExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
1-2 ft30-60 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Gold/YellowExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
GuatemalaGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
2-11Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sunExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good DrainageExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Worth knowing

  • Domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from a wild grass, teosinte. Wikipedia: Maize
  • Maize comes from the Spanish maíz, from the Taíno word mahis. Most countries say maize; corn is used mainly in the US and a few other English-speaking countries. Wikipedia: Maize

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 26, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 10 days to germinate.

67% germination in 10 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Zea p. 87Public domain
Show the original text
Zea (Poaceae). Z. minima germ. 70D(1/2 on 6th d) and 70L(2/3 on 10th d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Zea p. 87. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 30, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 6 days to germinate.

50% germination in 6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Zea p. 87Public domain
Show the original text
Zea (Poaceae). Z. minima germ. 70D(1/2 on 6th d) and 70L(2/3 on 10th d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Zea p. 87. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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