Too Early for Sweet Corn?

During the past few summers, I have started my own sweet corn business which in the past few years has grown from 1/4 acre to just over an acre. Starting this year, we decided to plant our first batch of sweet corn at the very beginning of April. This is in comparison to last year where we planted the first batch in the middle of May. After talking with a few of my teachers here at Purdue, we have decided to bring in plastic tarping across the patch both before planting and after. By doing this we hope to hold in the heat and provide a better growing environment for the growth of the sweet corn. We also hope that it helps to suppress the growth of weeds for a few weeks. The overall goal of planting this patch of sweet corn early is to try and have it ready to pick before the Fourth of July, which is one of the best times to enjoy some fresh sweet corn!