Bi-color sweet corn ready for cooking and eating.
Corn as we know it today does not grow anywhere in the wild. It is a plant that was developed by an unknown group of people in Mexico between 7,000 and 12,500 years ago. They used a wild grass called teosinte which had small kernels that were separated on the cob, unlike our modern day hybrids.
Zea mays is how we classify corn botanically today. There are thousands of varieties of corn classified as either sweet corn or field corn. Sweet corn is for human consumption and is the corn on the cob we eagerly wait for every summer. Field corn is grown as animal fodder and used to produce cornmeal, corn syrup and corn bio fuel.
Corn is a hot weather plant and will not grow during the cool temperatures of spring. Wait to plant until the soil warms up to at least 6o° and all danger of frost has past. Plant corn seed 9 to 12 inches apart in rows that are 24 to 30 inches apart. For intensive spacing, plant 9 to 12 inches apart in all directions. Since corn is wind pollinated, always plant two rows or use intensive spacing. This will help facilitate pollination.
For a continuous harvest, either stagger your plantings a week or two apart or plant several different varieties that mature at different times.
Mulch the soil well and provide at least one inch of water per week.
There are three types of sweet corn: standard normal sugary, sugary enhancer, and supersweet.
Standard sweet corn contains a sweet gene that regular field corn does not. This type is best suited to eating immediately after picking, as in “start the water boiling before you go out to the garden to pick the corn.”
Sugary enhancer hybrid corn contains an enhanced sugary gene that makes it sweeter than standard sweet corn and also much more tender and creamy. This type of corn is the best and most tasty for eating fresh and it is considered superior to all other types of sweet corn.
Supersweet hybrid corn has a higher sugar content than standard sweet corn but has a crispy, tough-skinned texture and lacks the creamy texture of the other sweet corn varieties. This is not noticeable in fresh corn on the cob but does affect the quality of frozen and canned corn. This type of corn is considered superior to all varieties for fresh eating unless it must be stored, shipped or mechanically harvested. This makes it a natural for the urban home vegetable garden.
Corn is ready to pick when the kernels are fully formed but not completely mature. This occurs about 20 days after the first silk strands appear. When ready to harvest the kernels are smooth and plump and milky juice appears when punctured with a fingernail. The silks will appear dry and brown and the unpicked ears will feel firm.
Because sweet corn only remains in this stage for about seven days, check them frequently so that the kernels do not become too mature.
And don’t forget to start the water boiling before you go out to the garden to pick it.
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