Lemonade

Family: Poaceae Grain Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Lemonade to a garden.

Sunlit kernels with a buttery, lemon-gold glow—Lemonade sweet corn brings a vivid sweetness that feels bright on the palate.

At maturity, the ears form a medium-to-large, gently tapered silhouette with plump rows of tender, juicy kernels and a fine, creamy bite. Grow Lemonade for fresh harvest enjoyment, and for golden summer sauces and quick pickling-style preserves where its sunny color and sweet corn flavor shine.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 70 DaysHabit: Upright

Location not set yet

Enter your ZIP for local crop dates

Lemonade Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Direct Sow	May 25th	Aug 3rd – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Direct Sow	May 19th	Jul 28th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Direct Sow	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Direct Sow	May 13th	Jul 22nd – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Direct Sow	May 8th	Jul 17th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Direct Sow	May 4th	Jul 13th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Direct Sow	May 1st	Jul 10th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Direct Sow	Apr 25th	Jul 4th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Direct Sow	Apr 20th	Jun 29th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Direct Sow	Apr 10th	Jun 19th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Direct Sow	Apr 1st	Jun 10th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Direct Sow	Mar 23rd	Jun 1st – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Direct Sow	Mar 6th	May 15th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Direct Sow	Feb 9th	Apr 20th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 10th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	70
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	60
Min Soil Temp (°F)	55
Min Night Temp (°F)	50
Harden Off (days)	Not Required

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Lemonade sweet corn is built for eating at peak tenderness—its creamy bite stays sweet even with fast heat, so you don’t need long cooking to get flavor. Char, butter, and a sharp acid (like lime) make the kernels taste like sunshine without turning them chewy or starchy.

Best Uses

quick char on a ripping-hot grill, then hit with salt and lime
shaved-kernel skillet sauté with butter and garlic for a glossy, spoonable finish
creamy summer chowder or corn soup where the kernels stay sweet, not starchy
quick pickling-style preserves for candy-sweet kernels and sunny color

Flavor Profile

bright honey-sweet flavor buttery, creamy kernel bite tender juiciness with a light corn-meadow aroma

Kitchen Pairings

butter lime smoked paprika chili-lime seasoning feta cilantro

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a common pest or disease in Zea mays var. saccharata (sweet corn) and how can I manage it?

Watch for corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), which feeds through the silks and damages kernels. Start by applying Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) when silks first appear and reapply as labeled; remove and discard heavily damaged ears and keep the garden free of weeds that harbor pests. If you also see fungal issues like grayish mold on ear tips, harvest promptly when ears mature and avoid overhead watering to reduce moisture on silks.

How often should I water sweet corn during the main growing phase, and what soil moisture level should I aim for?

During the vegetative-to-tasseling period and especially once silks emerge, keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged—aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–3.8 cm) of water per week, split into 1–2 deep waterings. Let the top 1 inch of soil dry slightly between waterings, but don’t allow the root zone to dry out because that can cause poor ear development and “missing” kernels.

How do I tell when Lemonade (Zea mays var. saccharata) sweet corn is ready to harvest?

Harvest when silks are browned and the kernels feel plump and release milky juice when pierced with a fingernail—this is the sweet-corn maturity sweet spot. Check an ear about 70 days after sowing (then adjust by silk color and kernel milk), and pick during the morning for the sweetest flavor.