Most types of corn have a growing season of four to six months. Much of the world's high-yield corn is grown on large farms that use modern machinery to perform nearly all the operations involved in producing corn. Most kinds of corn grow best in well-drained soils that range from slightly acid to neutral. Corn also needs nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. In an interview with my grandmother, Mary Breitbarth, she said, "Many farmers that grow corn will rotate their corn crop each year with other crops as alfalfa, clover or soybeans." Crop rotation returns some nutrients to the soil and helps control soil erosion, weeds, insects and disease. According to an article I got from the internet site, (http://www.aolsvc.worldbook.aol.com/wbol/wbAuth/jsp/wbArticle.jsp) Most types of corn grow best at the temperature of about 86 degrees F. (30 degrees C.) and nighttime temperatures of above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C.) around flowering time. Ideal rainfall for growing is about 18 to 25 inches (46 to 64 centimeters) in temperate regions and 25 to 36 inches (64 to 91 centimeters) in tropical regions. Most farmers use a chisel plow to prepare the soil for planting. This plow turns the soil to a depth of 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) in rows spaced 12 to 16 inches (30 to 41 centimeters) apart. Farmers may add chemical fertilizers or manure to the soil before plowing and planting time or just as the seeds begin to grow. .
