fruit · direct sow
Dent (grinding) Corn: how much to plant.
A family of 4 eating dent (grinding) corn a few times a week needs about 11 plants in ~30 sq ft, worth about $6 a year at the store. Here are the exact numbers for your household, and when to plant in every zone.
How much to plant
Plants, space, seeds, and value.
Counts assume about 3 servings per person per week with a germination buffer built in. Store value uses ~$1.50/lb retail, an estimate that varies by region and season.
| Household | Plants | Bed space | Seeds to buy | Store value / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 3 | ~8 sq ft | ~6 | ~$2 |
| 2 people | 6 | ~16 sq ft | ~11 | ~$3 |
| 4 people | 11 | ~30 sq ft | ~20 | ~$6 |
| 6 people | 16 | ~43 sq ft | ~29 | ~$8 |
Spacing
12" in row · 32" between rows
Sow depth
1.5"
Days to harvest
110 from seed
When to plant
Sow windows by USDA zone, 2026.
Zone dates are typical, not exact. The free planner uses your ZIP code's frost dates, not just the zone, and shifts every window to match.
| Zone | Spring sow window | Fall sow window |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 22 – Jun 29 | — |
Corn, dent (grinding) needs about 110 days and your first frost comes too early for that. Even the earliest date shown will not ripen outdoors here, grow it in a container you can move, or treat it as a short-season variety. | ||
| Zone 4 | May 17 – Jun 24 | — |
Sow Corn, dent (grinding) by May 17 at the latest. The window runs longer than that, but a later sowing will not finish before your first frost. | ||
| Zone 5 | May 7 – May 27 | — |
| Zone 6 | Apr 27 – Jun 4 | — |
| Zone 7 | Apr 12 – May 20 | — |
| Zone 8 | Apr 1 – May 9 | — |
| Zone 9 | Feb 27 – Apr 6 | — |
| Zone 10 | Feb 7 – Mar 17 | — |
Know when it's time to plant
Give us your ZIP and we'll email you a planting checklist for your exact frost dates, this month's list right now, then once a month when sow windows open.
One email a month, only when there's something to plant. Unsubscribe anytime.
Know before you grow
The practical stuff.
Ready to pick when
Leave ears until husks are brown and kernels dent on top. Kernels should be glassy hard, a fingernail should not mark them.
Yield
About 0.35 lbs per plant over ~2 productive weeks (~0.35 lb).
Neighbors
Plays well with bush bean, squash.
On the plate (per 100 g, USDA)
365 kcal · 7.3 g fiber · 0 mg vitamin C · 287 mg potassium
Stop guessing. Get your exact numbers.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for your ZIP code, not just your zone, in about 60 seconds.
Corn, dent (grinding) cans, freezes, or dries for the pantry. See how much to grow and store to feed your household, and how long it keeps.
Corn, dent (grinding) planting questions
How many dent (grinding) corn plants do I need per person?+
For steady eating (about 3 servings a week), plan on roughly 3 plants per person. A family of 4 needs about 11 plants, which takes around 30 sq ft of bed space.
How much space does dent (grinding) corn need?+
Space plants 12" apart in the row with 32" between rows. Sow 1.5" deep. Direct sow in the bed.
When should I plant dent (grinding) corn?+
It depends on your frost dates. Spring sowing is keyed to your last spring frost. The zone table on this page shows typical windows; enter your ZIP in the free planner for dates tuned to your exact location, not just your zone.
Is growing dent (grinding) corn worth it?+
At about $1.50/lb retail and ~0.35 lb per plant, a family-of-4 planting is worth about $6 a year at the store. Prices vary by region and season, so treat it as an estimate.