A corn maze or maize maze is a maze

Maze

A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...

 cut out of a corn field

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

. They have become popular tourist attraction

Tourist attraction

A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....

s in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, 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

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

 mazes ("corn" in British English

British English

British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...

 is generally taken to refer to wheat), and are especially popular with farms in the east of England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. These mazes are normally combined with other farm attractions of interest to families and day trippers. Some of these attractions include hay rides

Hayride

A hayride, also known as a hayrack ride, is a pleasure ride in an open truck, wagon or sleigh which has been decorated with hay or straw and similar farmlife paraphernalia...

, a petting zoo

Petting zoo

A petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain 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

Dixon, California

Dixon is a city in northern Solano County, California, United States, located from the state capital, Sacramento. The population was 18,351 at the 2010 census. Other nearby cities include Vacaville, Winters and Davis....

, and is 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) in area as of 2010. The Guinness Book of World Records gave this designation in September 2007, when it was 40 acres (161,874.4 m²). Although this corn maze may hold distinction as the world's largest corn maze, Adventure Acres corn maze in Bellbrook, Ohio

Bellbrook, Ohio

Bellbrook is a city in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,943 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Bellbrook was first settled in 1814...

, just outside of Dayton, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...

 consists of 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) of corn maze with 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of trails.

Creation

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
   Fertilizer
   Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
   
   , moisture stress
   Moisture stress
   Moisture stress occurs when the water in a plant's cells is reduced to less than normal levels. This can occur because of a lack of water in the plant's root zone, higher rates of transpiration than the rate of moisture uptake by the roots, for example, because of an inability to absorb water due...
   
   , 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
   Square foot gardening
   Square Foot Gardening is the practice of planning small but intensively planted gardens. The phrase "square foot gardening" was popularized by Mel Bartholomew in a 1981 Rodale Press book and subsequent PBS television series. A full-length companion DVD, Square Foot Gardening , was recently released...
   
    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
   Cooperative extension service
   The Cooperative Extension Service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant...
   
    recommends the total nitrogen
   Nitrogen
   Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
   
    rate for the season should not exceed about 125 pounds per acre (56.7kg in 4,046.85 meters squared).
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 herbicide
   Herbicide
   Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
   
   s, roto-tillers, or mower
   Mower
   A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
   
   s to cut the walkways.

External links

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