took an advanced crop production class while in grad school and, at least at that time, they taught that planting corn at closer spacingÂs results in higher quality ears.

The reason... you strive to force each individual corn plant to concentrate all it's energy into producing one ear, which will be larger and better quality than if the plant split it's energy into producing multiple ears. Wide spacing will produce more ears per plant, but they will be smaller and lower quality (higher sugar content and more succulent).

I donÂt know what MelÂs recommendation is, but if I were growing corn for my own consumption I would want the better ear quality than the more ears per plant.

I have 4'x12' raised beds that I rotate corn in. I started out by putting 4 long rows of corn in each bed, but after two years, reduced it to only 3 rows. The corn in the center of the bed got too much shade, and the stalks were thin and scrawny. Corn is also a heavy user of nitrogen, so if you jam it in too tight, there is too much competition for nutrients as well as sun, and the whole crop suffers. The 12 to 18" spacing is right. We have cool spring temps, so I can't plan on good germination. I sow a seed about every 3" and then progressively thin to 12" or 14" keeping the stronger seedlings. Here are my 5 beds of corn on the 4th of July last year. Only 1/3 of their eventual height.

I believe it depends on how nutrient rich the soil is to begin with. If you have fabulous soil, go for it with closer spacing. If you don't, give them breathing room.