When is corn ready to pick? — ediblegardens52

Jul 16

Jul 16 When is corn ready to pick?

Before the raccoons find my corn, I want to know when my corn is ready to pick.

Last year critters—likely raccoons—knew when my corn was ready to eat. I lost a number of ears and they damaged stalks of others as they rummaged about in my 4x5 foot patch.

We grow corn at home so we can harvest at the peak of perfection. I like to harvest and take the shucked corn straight to the boiling water on the stove. Leave it too long on the stalk and the kernels become dry and starchy.

Here are the most useful signs I use to determine that my corn is ready to pick. I’ve found that the dried silk and the presence of milky fluid in the kernels are the easiest and most reliable signs.

Silk is dry and brown
Kernels are tender and milky when slit with a fingernail
Kernels are filled out, even and you can feel individual kernels through the husk
Ends of cob are rounded not pointed
About 20 days from when the silks first appeared or when approaching the “days to harvest” on seed packet.
Cob is noticeably angled out from the corn stalk.

For more detail on these here’s a 3-minute read How to Identify a Ripe Ear of Corn. Or check out these 1-2 minute videos.