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How to grow Maize

Zea mays · Poaceae

A maize plant growing in a smallholder field, with tall green leaves, a tassel on top and a developing cob on the stem.

Photo: Ay treasure · CC BY-SA 4.0

C4 annual grass, wind- and cross-pollinated — buy hybrid seed fresh each season and isolate seed crops / sweetcorn from field maize by ~200 m. Covers all field maize (white, yellow, QPM; dent & flint) and sweetcorn / green maize as a use-variant (same suitability; harvested immature).

Days to maturity
120–140 days
Row spacing
75 cm
Plant spacing in the row
25 cm
Sowing depth
3–5 cm

These are general figures for the crop, compiled from published agronomic references including FAO and CABI. The right choice for your field depends on your soil, rainfall and the yield you are aiming for.

Will maize actually do well on your land? Check your field against every crop in the catalogue — free, no signup. Run the free crop check →

Other names for Maize

mielie · በቆሎ (bäqollo) · maize · corn · green mealie · maïs · masara · ọka · kasooli · umumbu · chimanga · milho · ibigori · chibage · poone · mahindi · mmidi · umbona · àgbàdo · ummbila

Working in buckets, bags or paces? The farming glossary turns the measures growers actually use into kilograms and hectares — what a 20 litre bucket of each crop really weighs, and how to size a field by walking it — alongside the Shona, Swahili, Ndebele and Yoruba words used in the field. Open the glossary →

Growing maize, stage by stage

Your maize season, step by step — from getting the field ready, through planting and feeding, to drying and storing the grain so none of it is lost.

  • Get your field and inputs ready
  • Plant and get a full stand
  • Feed it and keep it clean
  • Protect flowering — the make-or-break window
  • Fill the grain and finish clean
  • Harvest
  • Dry, shell and store

25 step-by-step tasks in the app

Every task for maize — what to do, when to do it and why it matters — with the amounts worked out for your own field, reminders as each one falls due, and warnings before extreme weather.

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Pests and diseases that attack maize

22 more threats tracked in the app

Divisi tells you which of these is a risk on your maize right now, when to walk the field looking for it, and what to do the moment you find it.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does maize take to grow?

Maize takes about 120–140 days from sowing to maturity, though the exact length varies with variety, temperature and how the season runs.

What spacing should I use for maize?

Space maize rows about 75 cm apart, with roughly 25 cm between plants within the row.

How deep should maize be planted?

Sow maize at about 3–5 cm deep. Shallower risks drying out; deeper wastes seed energy before the shoot reaches light.

What pests and diseases attack maize?

The ones covered in this guide are African armyworm, Angoumois grain moth, Cereal stem borers. Each has its own page explaining how to identify, scout for and control it.

More reading

Grow maize with a plan, not a guess

Divisi turns this guide into a dated plan for your own field — what to do each week, reminders as tasks fall due, and warnings before extreme weather. Free for farmers, works offline.

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Or check your field first