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corn maze

{{Short description|Mazes produced from patterns cut or grown into farmland}}{{About|corn mazes|the Halloween event|Haunted attraction (simulated)}}

File:Maislabyrinth (05) (19665624374).jpg

File:Inside a corn maze near Christchurch, New Zealand.JPG, New Zealand|alt=View from inside a corn maze, looking down a narrow dirt path in between tall stalks of corn.]]

A corn maze or maize maze is a maze cut out of a corn field. Corn mazes have become popular agritourism attractions in North America, and are a way for farms to generate tourist income. Corn mazes appear in many different designs. Most have a path which goes all around the whole pattern, either to end in the middle or to come back out again, with various false trails diverging from the main path. In the United Kingdom, they are known as maize mazes, 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. These attractions may 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 are typically cut down around the first week of November; in the UK typically in September after children return to school.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

File:Grand_labyrinthe_Kamouraska,_La_Pocatière,_Canada.jpg

Size

Mazes may cover {{convert|2|-|9|acre|hectare|1}}.{{Cite news |last=Lowder |first=J. Bryan |date=2023-10-28 |title=The A-maize-ing Life of a Corn Maze Designer |language=en-US |work=Slate |url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/10/reba-mcentire-corn-maze-designer-how-corn-mazes-are-made.html |access-date=2023-11-07 |issn=1091-2339}} Larger mazes can have more design details.

{{asof|January 2023}}, the Guinness World Record for the largest temporary corn or crop maze was {{convert|65.8|acre|hectare|1}}, created by Luc Pelletier in La Pocatière, Québec, Canada, in October 2022.{{Cite web |title=Largest corn / crop maze (temporary) |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-maze-temporary-corn-crop-maze |access-date=2023-01-24 |website=Guinness World Records |date=18 October 2022 |language=en-gb}}

In 2012, a maze in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada earned the Guinness World Record for the largest scannable QR code on Earth. It was about {{convert|2.9|hectare|acres}}.{{Cite news |date=9 September 2012 |title=Alberta family's QR code named world's largest by Guinness |work=The Canadian Press |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-family-s-qr-code-named-world-s-largest-by-guinness-1.1280373}}

Designs

Designs may be simple lines, or they may produce an overall image that can be seen from above. Many are based on artistic designs such as characters from movies. Some mazes are even created to tell stories or to portray a particular theme. Complex designs include those featuring popular singers, movies,{{Cite web |last=Altman |first=Jim |date=13 October 2023 |title=The Lyman Orchards Corn Maze offers a direct path to help their charity |url=https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/middlesex-county/the-lyman-orchards-corn-maze-offers-direct-path-help-charity/520-3edcd739-9596-45f9-aa95-808115a99a8b |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=WTIC-TV Fox 61 |language=en-US}} farming themes,{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Andy |date=15 October 2023 |title=Michigan Marvels: Gigantic corn maze a place to get lost, laugh about it |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/10/15/michigan-marvels-gigantic-corn-maze-dundee/71155779007/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US}} patriotic themes, or historical events.{{Cite web |last=Loewenson |first=Irene |date=2023-10-06 |title=Farmers grow corn maze marking 40 years since tragic attack on Marines |url=https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2023/10/06/farmers-grow-corn-maze-marking-40-years-since-tragic-attack-on-marines/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=Marine Corps Times |language=en}}

Complex designs may be produced by a specialty company.{{Cite news |last=Lauritsen |first=John |date=22 October 2023 |title=A look at how a massive corn maze is built |work=CBS Minnesota |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/video/a-look-at-how-a-massive-corn-maze-is-built/}}

A large maze may be broken into several sections. This allows people to choose a path with the length and complexity that they want. For example, a family with small children may want to choose a shorter, simpler portion, and others may want to do multiple sections. An unusually large corn maze at Stoney Brook Farms in the US, which covers an area of {{convert|110|acre|ha}}, has a total of {{convert|15|mile|km}} of pathways.

The designs may be cut earlier in the season, when the corn plants are shorter (about {{convert|12|in|cm}} tall), or during the summer, when they are taller.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-18 |title=Kelder's Farm shows New York a bit of corn maze love |url=https://www.agdaily.com/crops/kelders-farm-shows-new-york-a-bit-of-corn-maze-love/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=AGDAILY |language=en-US}} In other cases, the corn is planted to form the maze, using GPS mapping technology.

Revenue

Corn mazes are usually created because they can bring money into a family farm. Some farms also donate a portion of the proceeds to a charity.

History

The first full-size corn maze is said to have been created in Annville, Pennsylvania in 1993,{{cite web |date=October 29, 2010 |title=Nation's First Corn Maze Rooted at LVC |url=http://www.lvc.edu/News/index.aspx?newsid=48b3b2aa-1e44-4687-96bb-b820c660b911&HeadLine=Nation%E2%80%99s%20First%20Corn%20Maze%20Rooted%20at%20LVC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526170206/http://www.lvc.edu/News/index.aspx?newsid=48b3b2aa-1e44-4687-96bb-b820c660b911&HeadLine=Nation%E2%80%99s%20First%20Corn%20Maze%20Rooted%20at%20LVC |archive-date=2015-05-26 |website=Lebanon Valley College}}{{Unreliable source?|date=October 2023|reason=Per WP:RSSM}} although the Los Angeles Times mentioned the existence of a corn maze at the R&H Ranch, in Lancaster, California, in 1989.{{cite news |last1=Milstead |first1=Janey |date=October 15, 1989 |title=Pumpkin patches |work=Los Angeles Times |location=Proquest Historical Newspapers |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1251108081 |access-date=October 22, 2023|id={{ProQuest|1251108081}} }}

Creation

{{More citations needed|section|date=October 2023}}

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. Farmers must consider stalk strength and height 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 (about 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 they should 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 acreHeckman, J., & Sciarappa, W. (2004, June). [http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/download-free.asp?strPubID=FS510 Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension: Growing an "A-maize-ing" Corn Maze] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004224817/http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/download-free.asp?strPubID=FS510 |date=2013-10-04 }} (PDF). Retrieved July 25, 2008 (140 kg per hectare).
  5. Corn maze crops should be planted from mid to late May in the northern hemisphere, or mid to late November in the southern hemisphere. 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.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Maize mazes|Corn mazes}}

  • [http://www.maize-maze.com Maize Maze Association]{{spaced ndash}} Trade Association for UK Maize Maze owners and operators, lists UK Maize Mazes.
  • [https://www.kukuricaci.cz/en The Cornies]{{spaced ndash}} Twelve Czech maize mazes ("Kukuřičáci").

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corn Maze}}

Category:Farms

Category:Maize

Category:Mazes