🌽 Corn Per Person Planting Calculator
Calculate exactly how many corn plants, rows, and garden space you need
| Intended Use | Plants/Person | Ears/Person | Yield (lbs) | Yield (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh eating (summer) | 10–15 | 15–23 | 10–15 | 4.5–6.8 |
| Freezing | 20–30 | 30–45 | 20–30 | 9–13.6 |
| Canning | 30–40 | 45–60 | 30–40 | 13.6–18.1 |
| Drying (cornmeal) | 40–60 | 60–90 | 25–40 | 11.3–18.1 |
| All uses combined | 40–60 | 60–90 | 40–60 | 18.1–27.2 |
| Measurement | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Avg ear weight (with husk) | 10–12 oz | 280–340 g |
| Avg ear weight (husked) | 7–9 oz | 200–255 g |
| Kernels per ear | ~800 (avg 16 rows × 50 kernels) | |
| Kernels per ear (weight) | ~5.5–6.5 oz | ~155–185 g |
| 1 ear = cut kernels | ~3/4 cup | ~175 mL |
| Ears per stalk (avg) | 1–2 (typically 1.5) | |
| Ears for 1 pint frozen | 4–5 ears | |
| Ears for 1 quart frozen | 8–10 ears | |
| Ears per bushel | ~70 ears | |
| 1 bushel shelled = weight | 56 lbs | 25.4 kg |
| Garden Layout | Dimensions | Plants | Expected Ears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min. block (4×4) | 3 ft × 10 ft (0.9×3 m) | 16 | 16–32 |
| Small plot (4 rows) | 10 ft × 10 ft (3×3 m) | 40–48 | 40–96 |
| Medium plot (6 rows) | 15 ft × 15 ft (4.5×4.5 m) | 72–90 | 72–180 |
| Large plot (8 rows) | 20 ft × 20 ft (6×6 m) | 128–160 | 128–320 |
| Family garden | 25 ft × 25 ft (7.6×7.6 m) | 200–250 | 200–500 |
| Variety Type | Days to Harvest | Best For | Ears/Stalk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early season (e.g. Early Sunglow) | 60–70 days | Short seasons, succession | 1–1.5 |
| Mid season (e.g. Kandy Korn) | 70–85 days | Main crop, fresh eating | 1.5–2 |
| Late season (e.g. Silver Queen) | 85–100 days | Large harvests, freezing | 1–2 |
| Dent/Flint (e.g. Bloody Butcher) | 90–120 days | Drying, cornmeal, flour | 1–2 |
| Popcorn (e.g. Japanese Hulless) | 90–110 days | Popcorn, snacking | 2–3 |
| Preservation Method | Ears Needed | Yields | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freezing (kernels) | 4–5 ears | 1 pint (2 cups) | 3–4 |
| Freezing (kernels) | 8–10 ears | 1 quart (4 cups) | 6–8 |
| Freezing (cream style) | 6–8 ears | 1 pint | 3–4 |
| Canning (whole kernel) | 8–10 ears | 1 quart jar | 6–8 |
| Canning (cream style) | 10–12 ears | 1 pint jar | 3–4 |
| Drying (cornmeal) | ~10 ears | ~2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) kernels | Varies |
For fresh sweet corn, plant 10 to 15 stalks for one person during the summer growing season which gives around 15 to 23 ears. After removing the husks, every ear of sweet corn weighs roughly 7 to 9 ounces, where only the kernels weigh about 5.5 to 6.5 ounces per ear. One average ear gives around 3/4 cup (175 mL) of raw kernels.
For a four-person family that grows corn only for fresh eating 40 to 60 plants need garden area of roughly 100 to 150 square feet. If you plan to freeze corn for use during the whole year, the USDA advices grow to 20 to 30 plants per person. To fill one pint of frozen kernels you need 4 to 5 ears, and for one quart 8 to 10 ears.
How Many Corn Plants to Grow Per Person
Canning requires even more space: 30 to 40 plants per person, or roughly 45 to 60 ears. For whole kernel canning you require 8 to 10 ears per quart tin, while cream style uses 10 to 12 ears per pint. A family of four that wants 20 quarts of whole kernel corn needs 160 to 200 ears.
Each corn stalk usually gives 1 to 2 ears, and the most common hybrid sweet corn types average 1.5 ears in good growing conditions. The sprouting rate for fresh seed corn is 85 to 95%, so gardeners plant 10% more seeds to make up for bad seeds and lost plants. A typical bag of seeds holds 100 to 200 seeds; one pound of corn seeds carries around 1 200 to 1 400 kernels.
The spacing of plants is 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) inside the rows and 30 to 36 inches (76 to 91 cm) between the rows. With 10-inch spacing and 36-inch rows, every plant requires roughly 2.5 square feet. A block of 10 feet by 10 feet (3 by 3 metres) can hold 40 to 48 plants in 4 rows.
Corn pollinates by wind, so blocks with at least 4 rows get good pollination. Crops in one or two rows can cause 30 to 50% incomplete filling of kernels on every ear, which really halves the usable amount. The Extension of the University of Illinois does suggest a minimal block of 4 rows by 4 rows for home gardens.
For nutrition, one average ear of yellow sweet corn (around 90 grams of kernels) delivers 88 calories, 3.3 grams of protein, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 1.4 grams of fat, 2.4 grams of dietary fiber and 6.4 grams of natural sugars. It has around 270 mg of potassium, 6.8 mg of vitamin C and 37 mcg of folate.
Planting every two weeks since the last frost until middle of summer extends the harvest period to 6 to 8 weeks. Every such planting requires just as many plants per person as a single crop.
For dry corn and making cereal or flour, plan 40 to 60 plants per person. Dent and flint corn types for milling mature in 90 to 120 days. Around 10 dried ears give 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) of dry kernels.
A bushel of dry field corn weighs 56 pounds (25.4 kg) and gives roughly 70 ears.
For bigger groups, you can multiply the 10 to 15 stalks per person based on your household size and intended uses. Considering all uses combined, plan for significantly more plants and garden space.
Home gardens typically lose 10 to 20% of production because of pests, weather and diseases during a typical season. Considering all such losses, expert gardeners commonly plant 15 to 25% more than the basic advice.
Popcorn types give 2 to 3 ears per stalk, but they require 90 to 110 days and must be kept at least 250 feet (76 metres) from sweet corn to escape cross-pollination. One stalk of popcorn delivers around 1 to 2 cups of unpopped kernels.
