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HYBRID SWEET CORN 

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Silver Queen - hybrid CORN, SWEET 28g seed
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"normal sugary" (white) 90 days. One of the most popular and dependable hybrid sweet corns developed. Ears are 8-1/2 in. long, filled with 14 to 16 rows of sweet white kernels. Stalks average about 7-1/2'. Tolerant of the majority of leaf blights and of Stewart's wilt. Has some drought toleranc ...
 
Silver Queen - hybrid CORN, SWEET 114g seed
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Early Sunglow - hybrid CORN, SWEET 28g seed
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"normal sugary" (yellow) 64 days. The best extra early hybrid corn. This widely adapted early variety is noted for exceptional resistance to cold and frost. One customer reported that 'Early Sunglow' survived 28oF when coated with ice from a sprinkler left on during the night. Stalks, 4-1/2' t ...
 
Which is better: open-pollinated sweet corn
or hybrid sweet corn?
The answer to this question depends on what is important to you. Old-fashioned, open-pollinated corn is not as uniform in size and maturity as hybrid corn, but uniformity is not necessarily an advantage for the home gardener who wants an extended harvest of table fresh corn. Hybrid corn tends to mature all at once which is an advantage primarily to farmers. The new supersweet and extrasweet hybrid corns are sugary sweet and hold their sweetness in storage, but they may have weak seedling vigor, are more susceptible to ear damage by insects, and the seeds rot readily in cool soil. Standard, open-pollinated sweet corn is still preferred by many gardeners because of its true corn flavor. It is a fact that when pigs, chickens, horses, and cows are given a choice between open-pollinated and hybrid corn the animals invariably prefer the old open-pollinated varieties, possibly because of the higher protein content. For good pollination and ear development open-pollinated corn should be planted in blocks at least 5 to 6 rows wide, whereas hybrid corn should be planted in blocks at least 4 rows wide. NOTE: If open-pollinated corn is new to you we suggest planting less than 1/4 lb. until you are familiar with its characteristics.
CULTURE: Sweet corn seed requires a soil temperature of 65OF (18OC) to germinate well, otherwise seed may rot easily due to its high sugar content. Don't rush your first planting. Wait until after the first average frost-free date. Succession plantings can then be made 2 to 3 weeks apart. Sow seed 1" deep in rows 24 to 36" apart and thin to 9 to 14" apart within rows. Later, taller varieties need wider spacing than early, shorter varieties. For good pollination and well-filled ears, plant in blocks at least 5 rows wide. HARVEST: After silk has dried and turned brown, puncture the skin of a kernel with your thumbnail. If a sweet, milky juice is released (milk stage) the corn is ready for harvest. Prepare corn for eating quickly after harvest. At room temperature, harvested ears lose 50% of their sugar in 24 hours. PESTS: Corn earworm can be suffocated by inserting a medicine dropper half filled with mineral oil into the silk after it has wilted and browned at the tip (4 to 5 days after silk appears). Corn borers can be prevented by composting corn refuse and stubble as soon as possible. DISEASE: Corn smut forms large puffy, gray, irregular masses of fungus during dry hot weather. Corn smut is a delicacy in Mexico, but if you want corn rather than corn smut, remove and destroy the fungus; otherwise the black spores will re-infest your corn for several years. SEED SAVERS: Corn is wind pollinated. Separate varieties by 600' for home use, or 1/2 to 1 mile for absolute purity. Save at least 500 seeds from at least 10% of the plants to maintain vigor and genetic diversity of the variety. PACKET: 1 oz or 28 g (about 115 to 210 seeds, depending on variety, sows 30 to 45 feet.


This page was updated 2007-01-02.
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