I've always grown sweet corn in six single rows 3' apart. Last year I experimented with double rows; two rows 12" apart and 3' between pairs of rows. More corn in 8 rows in a shorter length of the garden. With just the 3' between pairs, there was a problem pulling enough soil to the outside of the plants and also to the middle of the pairs.
During the growing time there were several high wind storms that came through and laid the corn down. Either they blew down because they hadn't been adequately hilled and thus didn't have strong enough tillers or the winds were high enough that the corn would have blown down any way, like these young plants in the first pic. That has sometimes happened with single row corn adequately hilled.
It's getting near corn planting time again. I was thinking maybe do the double rows again but with 4' between pairs. That would give me plenty of soil on each side to pull to the stalks. I had good pollination with the 3' between rows but would 4' apart mess with pollination? Hand pollinate to be sure? Gently smack the stalks occasionally with a stick to shake out pollen?
Then I thought about three triple rows, 3 rows each 12" apart and 4' between sets of three.
Better pollination than double rows and even more corn in less space using three sets of three. But maybe a hassle hilling and also fertilizing that middle row.
Maybe I'm just getting greedy, wanting more corn in less space. But this year the corn is on the left side of the garden.
Some of that patch is somewhat shaded in the afternoon. Doing triple rows and starting them just below the last bed above the corn area would minimize the shade thing.
I'd be grateful for any input or general thoughts, positive or negative!