For home gardeners, cultivation with a hoe can continue throughout the season, but the need for cultivation will diminish as corn plants mature and shade the soil beneath them. Cultivation should be shallow to prevent damage to corn roots. Growers opting to use herbicides to control weeds should contact their county agent or agricultural chemical dealer for appropriate recommendations. Follow label instructions of registered insecticides for appropriate control. Corn earworms are generally the most destructive of the insect pests.
Damage is generally more severe in warmer areas of the state.
Early-planted sweet corn usually has less corn earworm damage than later plantings. Seed rots and seedling diseases are best controlled with high quality treated seed planted in warm soil. Field sanitation will help control over-wintering organisms that cause various stalk rots and leaf spots. Smut can be brought on by drought, high nitrogen levels, and plant damage from insects, cultivation, or hail. Tolerant varieties will provide some control.