1. You are going to need a good bit of nitrogen in the soil to grow corn because corn is a heavy feeder, I use composted chicken manure, but you can use alfalfa meal or just the standard granular fertilizers
2. I haven't had much problem with the traditional corn pests like corn earworm, corn rootworm and billbugs, but I don't really know the ranges of those insects, it's really just a handpick and destroy method on my scale anyways.
3. Well I wouldn't just forget about the seedlings, once they get to a distinguishable height you're going to have to weed regularly to reduce competition and scout for insects, and I usually like to side dress with an organic fertilizer mid-way through the growing season
4. You sow corn 1-2 weeks after the last frost date for your zone, everybody will tell you something different, but thats the general time frame.

Hope that helps a little bit

From the University of Illinois Extension Service.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Grow Corn in the Home garden

I'll piggyback on this thread with my related question.

When planting corn in well spaced hills, as in the three sisters method, how many stalks should be grown in each hill?

Jim

Here is one suggestion, and its very similar to the method I've used in the past. This year I am trying my own variation, in an effort to use space more efficiently, and get a higher corn yield.

1. In late May or early June (depending on area), hoe up the ground and heap the earth into piles about a foot high and about 20 across. The centers of your mounds should be about four feet apart and should have flattened tops.

2. First, in the center of each mound, plant five or six corn kernels in a small circle.

3. After a week or two, when the corn has grown to be five inches or so, plant seven or eight pole beans in a circle about six inches away from the corn kernels.

4. A week later, at the edge of the mound about a foot away from the beans, plant seven or eight squash or pumpkin seeds.

5. When the plants begin to grow, you will need to weed out all but a few of the sturdiest of the corn plants from each mound. Also keep the sturdiest of the bean and squash plants and weed out the weaker ones.

6. As the corn and beans grow up, you want to make sure that the beans are supported by cornstalks, wrapping around the corn. The squash will crawl out between the mounds, around the corn and beans.

There are different variations. Some tribes planted the corn and beans in separate hills from the squash (which were interplanted in hills adjacent to the corn/beans).

I would suggest about 10 corn, 12 beans and 8 squash. Keep the strongest 5-6 corn, 6-8 beans and 4 squash. (If you have very high germination rates (or no animals getting in to you garden), you can just plant enough and not need to thin.)

Here is a link that might be useful: three sister's