Hopi corn (Zea mays) is an edible blue corn selection used in many different specialty foods from blue corn chips to blue pancakes. Grown as an annual in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 11, this warm season crop requires 85 to 105 warm frost-free days between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants die in the autumn after harvest and are replanted from seed in the spring. Plant Hopi corn outside in the spring when the soil temperature is at least 50 F.
Turn over the soil in a sunny garden bed that has 6 hours or more of direct sunlight every day through the summer.
Plant corn seeds 1 inch deep in the ground in groups of three to four seeds spaced 1 inch apart. Space the groups of seeds 7 to 15 inches apart.
Cover the hopi corn seeds with 1 inch of soil and pat it down with your hand.
Water the ground till it is thoroughly moist 1 inch or more deep. Search for new shoots in 7 to 14 days.
Thin out all but the most powerful plant in each group of seedlings. Cut the weaker seedlings at the soil line and then leave one strong seedling to grow.
Water daily in hot weather or when the dirt begins to feel dry to the touch.
Pull any weeds that emerge around the hopi corn crops in the very first month. Pull weeds by hand as opposed to using a weeding tool, as deep cultivation will damage the corn’s shallow roots.
Spread a layer of mulch 1 to 2 inches deep around the plants after the first month. Keep the mulch 1 to 2 inches away from the base of the stalk. Use compost, sawdust or seed-free straw. Mulch will suppress most of the weeds, however, keep pulling any weeds that emerge by hand throughout the growing season.