If you’ve ever bitten into mouth-watering sweet corn that’s just
been picked off the stalks, you already know what I’m talking
about: the type of corn that practically melts in your mouth. Who
needs corn pops cereal when there are these supersweet corn
varieties on the market!
If you’ve ever bitten into mouth-watering sweet corn that’s just been picked off the stalks, you already know what I’m talking about: the type of corn that practically melts in your mouth. Who needs corn pops cereal when there are these supersweet corn varieties on the market!
And better yet, it’s not too late to plant sweet corn. You can plant corn by seed all the way through mid-summer and still harvest by the end of summer and beginning of fall.
Corn is easy to grow by seed. Don’t bother buying it as already-started transplants. By going with seed, you also get a much wider variety of corn varieties to choose from, including some of these new supersweet types.
Of course, that’s not to say that growing your own corn doesn’t require a few picky pointers. First and foremost, corn is a hog – at least in terms of garden space. Corn requires plenty of space and as much sun as you can give it. For best results, plant corn in blocks of a minimum of four rows. Short rows are actually better than long rows in terms of increasing pollination. Short, so-called “block” planting, encourages pollination the most.
Secondly, corn is a hog when it comes to its relatively high level of nitrogen required, and moderate amounts of potassium and phosphorus. And have I mentioned water? Corn is also a hog when it comes to watering. I always make sure my corn planting has plenty of organic matter, including steer manure to get it off to a good start. I also supplement the soil with a little sulphate of ammonia (22-0-0).
Getting back to water, corn needs plenty of it, particularly just before the appearance of the silk and a couple weeks after the silk turns brown. This constitutes the kernel-filling stage. Also avoid overhead watering of plants with sprinklers. Corn is wind-pollinated – the pollen drifting from the tassel to the silk. If the tassels or silk are wet, the pollen won’t leave the tassel or will be washed down to the soil hampering any chances for pollination.
If all this hasn’t turned you off, here comes the good part (besides eating just-picked corn). Hybrid varieties of corn that have been developed through the past 50 years really make corn the poster child for hybrids. That’s because corn hybrids have that innate extra vigor when compared to open-pollinated plants. This translates to plants that are stronger, more uniform and more productive, as well as allowed for the development of much more tender corn that is sweeter, too.
The latter is what I’m really after. I love supersweet corn. Recent breeding enhancements have given us sugar enhanced (often labeled SE or SE+) and supersweets (marked by sh2, which refers to the shrunken kernel size of their seeds).
These types start out sweeter and stay sweeter much longer than regular sweet corn. If you like really sweet corn, go with these new types.
Some popular supersweet hybrids have names like “Kandy Korn,” “How Sweet It Is” and “Super Sweet.” Other more traditional types include “Silver Queen” and “Golden Jubilee.” Check out seeds at the nursery or mail-order catalog. There’s still time to be eating home-grown sweet corn this summer and fall!
