Best kind of sweet corn?
 

I plant Burpee bi-licious bi colored sweet corn. It seems like it has a super small window of sweetness. If you don't pick it the day it's ready, it tastes old. If you pick it early the yellow kernels aren't yellow or they may not be filled out fully. Life happens and I can't always pick it/ cook it/ strip it on the day. We've gotten corn from a local farm stand that I know was picked days earlier and still tastes great so I know better stuff is out there. What kind of corn do you guys plant and how do you make sure you get it in at the right time?

Thanks
Bill

Ambrosia. Best sweet corn you can get. Seed is expensive, but it's good. It's like $26/pound.

I always liked Illinois extra sweet. When we farmed dad sold Lewis seed that was one if their varieties . It was yellow and white kernels also.

Farm I used to work on we planted a variety of sweet corn called Kandy Corn. Boy was that stuff sweet and good. It had purpleish colored tassles.:beerchug:

Thanks for the input guys. I'll be looking these up. :beerchug:

Jonathon, I plant 6-7 rows 12 ft long; a pound might be a bit overkill! If I can get a 1/4lb I think I'd be good. My wife already thinks I'm a sweet corn snob, wait till I tell her the seeds cost $26! Haha

Thanks Brian

Cubs, I remember seeing purplish tassels on the sweet corn we grew when I was a kid, maybe a similar variety. I'll have to ask my dad if he remembers what we used to grow. Chances are he just asked for sweet corn at agway and has no idea what they gave him.

Bill

Mirai sweet corn is the sweetest best corn I've ever eaten.

It's origin was developed in japan (?) I think?

You can eat this corn RAW! I've done it.:bigeyes:

NIK,

Most everybody in my area plants Silver Queen.

I've planted "How Sweet It Is" variety with good success. It's a white, super sweet. High sugar content that has some staying power (still sweet after picking for a while) and a good picking window. Think Field's still carries it. Gurney used to, but dropped it.

Would like to try some others, but after having this one, never tried another. :)

Thanks guys! I'll be sure to try one of these varieties next year, take a list and see what's available local. may have to enlarge the garden to try a couple! :beerchug:

Bill

I imagine cross-pollination may be an issue if you plant multiple varieties in close proximity, in the sense that none of them may taste the way they were intended to taste.

I will second Mirai. Darn good corn for a bicolor. I prefer a yellow corn and not the bicolor as I believe genetics can be selected better without worrying about ending up with a "peaches and cream" type corn. For that i really like Honey Select. It is a triplesweet variety, SeSh2 and kicks any others to the curb.

Strong pollination and sturdy stalk. One mans opinion but google the varieties.

Maria is really tasty and probably one of the best.

Regardless of the variety, when buying seed make sure you aren't buying old seed. Always look to make sure it's not last years seed. I usually buy a pound at a time and start planting earlier than I should and continue planting every 2 weeks. A lot of time the early stuff doesn't make it but when it does :biggrin2: I also don't keep left over seed, I've had bad luck with it not germinating.

While we're on the topic...
I use a push planter (Cole, Shure Grow) now, before that an Earthway (junk) and I've had a few Brinly and Sears (David Bradley) planters as well. The Brinly and sears planters were nice but I prefer the Cole planter, it's got a large front wheel and seems to be more consistent.

Before having a planter I used to plant by hand and there's two easy ways of doing that.

I made a planting stick from a piece of PVC tubing and the bottom of a jug. I wound then walk along and push the seed into the tube, much easier than bending over and the seed always went to where it was supposed to go. I still use this for planting other things.

The other way is more time consuming but works well. I took cheap toilet paper (not used) and cut it into narrow strips. I then used a dab of Elmers glue to glue a kernel every couple sheets. It makes for nice straight rows and only takes a few minutes to plant, but gluing the seed took for ever. This was OK since it was still snowing outside and I got to do a little gardening.

I would agree. I stagger 2 plantings so we get fresh corn twice. Can grow a different variety at each planting, shouldn't be a problem.

Bob, the seed I have been getting is in packets with a current exp date. Glueing seeds to tp is a new one on me. My wife thinks I'm anal for using a tape measure to space rows and setting string to keep them straight, couldn't imagine her look if I tried that! I will admit, pretty ingenious though. :beerchug:

I appreciate the input guys, next years sweet corn should be the best yet!
Thanks

Bill

Ambrosia is the best that I have encountered. Grandpa ran a produce market for years and that's what he always planted.

I'm kind partial to Bodacious and Silver King. I had all my teeth pulled a couple weeks ago, during the peak sweet corn eatin season: vey poor planning on my part!!

A SWEET CORN STORY..............
My Dad worked for a tin can company supplying corn canners in Illinois.
The canners said the farmers had to plant extra rows because the first few rows next to a public road always got cleaned out before harvest.