Corn maze

Hay Close Farm Maize Maze, Cumbria, UK

A corn maze or maize maze is a maze cut out of a corn field. They have become popular tourist attractions in North America, and a way for farms to create tourist income. Many are based on artistic designs such as characters from movies. Corn mazes appear in many different designs. Some mazes are even created to tell stories or to portray a particular theme. Most have a path, which goes all around the whole pattern, either to end in the middle or to come back out again. In the United Kingdom, they are known as maize mazes ("corn" in British English is generally taken to refer to wheat), and are especially popular with farms in the east of England. These mazes are normally combined with other farm attractions of interest to families and day trippers. Some of these attractions include hay rides, a petting zoo, play areas for children, and picnic areas. Each year a few of the mazes are featured in national newspapers and TV. In the U.S., corn mazes typically are cut down circa the first week of November.

The largest corn maze in the world is located in Dixon, California, and is 45 acres (180,000 m²)^[1] in area as of 2010. The Guinness Book of World Records gave this designation in September 2007, when it was 40 acres (160,000 m²).^[2] Although this corn maze may hold distinction as the world's largest corn maze, Adventure Acres corn maze in Bellbrook, Ohio, just outside of Dayton, Ohio consists of 62 acres (250,000 m²) of corn maze with 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of trails.^[3]

Creation

Millets' Maize Maze 2007, Millets Farm Centre, Oxfordshire, UK

In order for farmers to create a corn maze they must carefully plan their production, design, and marketing techniques in advance.

1. Planting the correct variety of corn is important for the success of a corn maze. Stalk strength and height are something farmers must consider when selecting the right hybrid to plant.
2. Farmers must watch for stalk rot since it is one of the most frequently observed diseases. Key factors for stalk rot include improper fertilization, moisture stress, and disease development.
3. Moderate plant population (approximately 20,000 plants per acre) would be considered ideal. If moderate plant population is not followed crop crowding can occur.
4. Since farmers planting for corn mazes are not growing the crop for maximum yield one must be careful to not apply too much nitrogen fertilizer. Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension recommends the total nitrogen rate for the season should not exceed about 125 pounds per acre (56.7kg in 4,046.85 meters squared). ^[4]
5. Corn maze crops should be planted from mid to late May. This is two to three weeks later than crops being planted for grain.
6. When cutting the walkways farmers must cut the internal growing point of the stalk off to avoid regrowth. Some farmers use herbicides, roto-tillers, or mowers to cut the walkways.

See also

• Agritourism
• Hedge maze
• Straw maze

References

1. ^ Cool Patch Pumpkins Corn Maze Retrieved September 19, 2010
2. ^ Hudson Sangree A maze in the maize Sacramento Bee October 15, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2008.
3. ^ "Adventure Corn Maze". October 19, 2011. http://adventureacres.com/biggest-corn-maze.php. 
4. ^ Heckman, J., & Sciarappa, W. (2004, June). Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension: Growing an "A-maize-ing" Corn Maze (PDF). Retrieved July 25, 2008

External links

Media related to Corn mazes at Wikimedia Commons

• Maize Maze Association Trade Association for UK Maize Maze owners and operators, lists UK Maize Mazes.