I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying “Knee High by the Fourth of July” in reference to growing corn.  Well, it’s just not true in this part of the country.  In fact, it doesn’t hold much truth in America’s Corn Belt either.  If we planted corn with the goal of knee high by July, it may never make it to July with the number of insects and diseases that would attack it.  So where did this phrase come from?

There’s quite a bit of discrepancies as to the origin of this phrase.  Some people date it back to colonial times, while others say it started in the late 1800s.  Regardless of when it came around, it was in reference to a corn plants life cycle and crop planting time.  Corn has a lengthy growing season of three to four months and if it was planted on time, the soil was right, and precipitation was adequate then it would be knee high in time for Independence Day.  This was a good sign the crop would make it to fruition and a bountiful harvest was sure to come.  (At least for corn in the Midwest.)  However, times have changed, growing practices have changed, and corn varieties have improved drastically.

Based on growing data in Iowa, field corn heights average eight feet by the middle of summer.  And here in the panhandle we could be harvesting sweet corn by June.  So, it’s important you follow a few tips to be harvesting your corn before the Fourth of July.

• Submit your soil for analysis in January.  This will give you ample time to amend your soil.
• Select a variety for our region.  The Sweet Corn Chapter of the Vegetable Production Handbook of Florida provides a list of recommended varieties.
• Plant your corn on time.  The recommended time to plant corn in the panhandle is in February and March.  Some people like to plant on Valentine’s Day.  Please see a chart below with recommended planting times for commonly grown vegetables.

Knee High by the Fourth of July isn’t really nonsense.  The phrase has some excellent historical value and definitely helps portray the incredible advancements in agriculture over the years.  I encourage you to grow corn next year to see how high you can grown it by the Fourth of July.

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