Don't Throw Away Corn Husks And Silks — Put Them To Use In Your Garden

Who doesn't love crunchy, juicy corn kernels, fresh from the fields on a late summer day. But when the sun goes down and bellies are full, the corn husks and silks, once cloaking golden kernels, quite often get tossed without a second thought. This oversight means those crafty corn coverings miss their second calling — in our gardens.

After all the effort of shucking corn, rather than discarding the outer coverings as waste, consider using the husks and silks as valuable resources for healthy, sustainable gardens. There are many ways to give those scrappy earth-offerings new life, starting with the husks, which can be used dried or as they are. First off, they can fill one of the most essential gardening needs: mulch. Corn husks shredded into smaller pieces can help regulate soil temperatures, retain moisture, and suppress weed growth, eventually enriching the soil with organic matter while slowly decomposing over the gardening season. In sloping areas, the sturdy husk material can slow down erosion due to water runoff or other weather events. 

If you're a compost devotee, or want to try it out, dried-out corn husks make an excellent addition to the compost pile. Since they're rich in carbon, they serve as a brown layer to complement green components like vegetable peelings and other kitchen scraps. They can also be used as they are as green compost. And finally, since corn husks are biodegradable, how about twisting or braiding long husky strips into seed-starting pots — and planting them straight into the soil? 

As for the silky strands tucked inside the husks, while they may be irritating if left on the cob to get stuck in your teeth, they're actually super useful in the garden. They're particularly good for the compost pile, along with their former roommates, the corn husks. They serve as green matter, decomposing quickly, and can be mixed with brown-compost leaves and twigs for eco-balancing and structure.

As if that weren't enough, corn silks have nuanced levels of potential purpose. Some innovative gardeners suggest using them to brew a fertilizer tea for watering plants. The method for making it is simple: Just simmer chopped corn silks in hot water for about 10 minutes, then cool and spray. The micronutrients in the solution contribute to healthier plants and shrubs. 

With a bit creativity, you can also give corn silks new life as woven garden baskets, bird-nest materials, and support ties for climbing vines, especially when woven together with strips of corn husks. For even more ideas, check out our article on what to do with corn silk instead of throwing it away. 

Finally, if you want to make the most of corn silk's nutritional value, you can even consume it directly. According to Cleveland Clinic, eating corn silk has health-enhancing value, potentially supporting urinary tract health, fighting inflammation, and lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels. You should dry out the strands then blend into a powder to use in soups, smoothies, or salads. Or while you're busy making a fertilizer tea out of the strands, make a cup of the potassium-rich tea for yourself by steeping the silks in boiled water.