How does a corn maze get planted?

Customers frequently ask us, “How do you plant your corn maze?”  Many people assume we plant a cornfield and spend weeks cutting the maze by hand.   While that certainly can be done, it is not how we create our maze at Fresh Acres. 

Each year we partner with MazePlay, a company that specializes in designing and creating corn mazes.  Once we have chosen the theme for the year, we send them the dimensions of our field, and they use specialized software to design a custom maze that fits perfectly within the field's dimensions. 

From there, there are few different ways a corn maze can be created.

Option 1:  Plant the Maze from the Beginning

The first method is to plant only the corn that will become part of the maze.

MazePlay loads the design into the tractor’s GPS guidance system.  As the tractor drives across the field, it knows exactly where to plant seed, and just as importantly, where not to plant seed.  The future walking paths are simply left unplanted.

The biggest advantage of this approach is efficiency.  Since the paths are never planted, there is no wasted seed or corn.

Option 2:  Plant the Entire Field, Then Cut the Maze

The second method starts by planting the entire field with corn. 

Once the corn starts to grow, MazePlay comes to the farm with a tiller.  Again, using GPS guidance, the tractor follows the maze design and tills the paths through the growing corn. 

At first glance, this might seem less efficient because some corn is intentionally destroyed.  However, after trying this method, we discovered an unexpected benefit.  The tiller levels the planted rows, creating smoother, flatter walking paths for our guests.  Last year was the first season we used this method, and we were really happy with the finished paths

Which Method do we Use?

For our first seven years, we used the first method and planted the maze directly.

Last year and this year, we switched to planting the entire field first then tilling the paths.  We will see how this season goes before deciding which approach we will use for our 10th anniversary maze. 

Could you Cut a Corn Maze by Hand?

Absolutely!

Before GPS technology was common, many farms created mazes manually.  They would draw the design on graph paper, stake out a grid in the field, and then cut the paths using mowers or tillers.  It’s a lot of work, and while possible, not something we wanted to tackle ourselves.  We are happy to let current technology take care of the hard work while we focus on creating a fun experience for our guests. 

Next Time you Visit…

The next time you are walking through our corn maze, you will know there is much more to it than simply planting corn.  Every twist, turn, and dead end was carefully designed months before the first seed was planted.

Prepping the Field for Planting

Planting the Field

Watching the Corn Grow!