How high is your corn on the 4th of July?

As we celebrate America’s birthday on Friday with fireworks, hotdogs and get-togethers, you can bet that farmers will be benchmarking their corn crop. Most everyone has heard the old saying, “knee-high by the Fourth of July,” meaning if your corn was up to your knee, the crop was on pace to do well.

Corn is almost shoulder high in Underwood, Iowa

We have no idea how many decades ago that phrase was coined, but by today’s standards, most farmers would like to have their corn plants standing somewhere between waist to chest-high instead of knee high.  An older gentleman stated on our blog last year that the old phrase still rings true, if you’re sitting on a horse.

With the drastic improvements in crop genetics and other modern farming practices, corn plant growth rapidly takes off once the temperatures rise and the right amount of moisture is available. In Iowa, we know moisture has been plentiful, especially in the past month.

Let us know how tall the corn is in your neck of the woods. As you are traveling throughout the countryside this weekend, snap a photo and share it with us on our Facebook page, tweet a mention with @Iowa_Corn or share on Instagram with @iowa_corn

Have a fun, safe and happy Independence Day!