Zea mays var. rugosa Who can resist a steaming hot ear of fresh-grown corn on the cob? Being a native crop, it is more American as apple pie. Sweet corn was developed from common field corn. Field corn is harvested after it has matured, and it is used for innumerable products from cereals to livestock feed to chemicals and sweeteners.
• More detailed information can be found in The Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Book by Walter Reeves and Felder Rushing
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Growing Sweet Corn
Georgia Gardening
Vegetable Garden Calendar
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When to Harvest Vegetables
Sweet corn is harvested before it matures while it is tender and the sugar content is at its highest. Because sweet corn converts is sugar to starch rapidly upon harvest, old-time gardeners say that to appreciate the “sweetest” sweet corn, plant the patch close to the kitchen; when the corn is ready for harvest, start the pot of water boiling, and just as it reaches a full boil, pick the corn. Husk it as you run to the kitchen and then pop it into the pot.
The original sweet corn varieties were open pollinated, and very few can be found anymore. Some open-pollinated examples include ‘Golden Bantam’, ‘Country Gentleman’, and ‘Double Standard’. Today, almost all named varieties of sweet corn are hybrids and do not come true from saved seed. Three types are currently available: standard, sugary enhancer, and supersweet. Standard (SU) varieties of sweet corn contain a “sugary gene” making them sweet and creamy, but they quickly lose their sweetness after harvest. Unless the corn is rapidly cooled, the sugars are converted to starch. The newer hybrids have been developed to reduce this tendency. Sugary enhancer (SE) types are the ones of choice for the home gardener. They have superior texture and flavor, and they do not need to be separated from other kinds of corn to prevent cross-pollination. They have a higher sugar content and stay sweeter longer. Supersweet hybrids have a higher sugar content than the other two types, and they hold their sugar longer. The kernels have a tougher skin and lack the creamy texture of the standard and sugary enhancer varieties. Growing supersweet varieties is a challenge because the seeds do not germinate well, and the supersweet varieties need to be isolated from other types of corn to prevent cross-pollination. Yet despite the challenge, some home gardeners and community gardeners prefer it because it keeps very well, and some people like the crisp texture better than the creamy SE types.
WHEN TO PLANT Begin planting the earliest varieties during the first week of May or about the frost-free date (average date of last frost) in your area. For continuous harvest, stagger plantings every two weeks, or plant varieties that mature at different dates.
WHERE TO PLANT Sweet corn needs full sun (8 to 10 hours will suffice), good drainage, and lots of room. Unless your garden is large (100 by 200 feet or so), you may want to secure space in a community garden for your sweet corn. Quite a few plants are needed to provide enough corn at one time for a meal. Most varieties produce only 1 ear per plant, so you will need at least 12 plants that mature simultaneously to provide 12 ears for your family.
HOW TO PLANT Apply a complete garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, at a rate of 11/2 pounds per 100 square feet of garden. Spade or rototill the soil. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep in cool soils early in the spring, or 1 1/2 inches deep as the soil warms later. Space the seeds 9 inches apart in the rows, with 24 to 36 inches between rows. Plant 3 or more rows of each variety side by side to assure pollination. Since cross-pollination between white and yellow sweet corn affects color (though not necessarily sweetness), prevent cross-pollination by planting different kinds several yards apart, with other crops in between, or plant early, midseason, and main crop varieties (which, again, provides a continuous supply of sweet corn all summer). Make the first planting of SU or SE varieties about the frost-free date with an extra-early variety such as ‘Earlivee’. Make a second planting of a later variety such as ‘Spring Treat’. For the main crop, plant a favorite such as ‘Kandy Korn’. Make additional plantings of your favorite varieties when seedlings of the previous planting have 3 leaves. Keep in mind that later plantings will be more susceptible to drought and insect damage.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE Control weeds by hoeing the rows. Once the corn is tall enough, it will shade out weed seedlings. When the plants are about 11/2 feet tall, side-dress them with a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, at the rate of 1 pound per 100 square feet of garden. Water is important as the plants are tasseling and making silk. Pollination takes place then and will be poor if the plants are wilted. Kernel development takes water too. Once the silks begin to dry, be sure to keep the plants from wilting by providing about 1 inch of water per week. When the plants reach head height, overhead watering by using sprinklers will be difficult. Flooding or soaking will be necessary at that point, and you can use soaker hoses if you have a small plot. Some pests and diseases may pose a problem. The most common pest is corn earworm, which affects later-developing plantings; apply an approved garden insecticide to the silks as the pollen is being shed (you’ll be able to see it on everything) to reduce numbers of the pest. Smut disease causes a mass of nasty fungus to grow out of corn ears. Plant resistant varieties, or you can actually cook the fungus as a Mexican food delicacy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Harvest sweet corn as soon as the ears are filled out and the kernels are milky inside, usually about 20 days after silks appear. Keep corn cool and use as quickly as possible.
VARIETIES
Variety Name Days to Maturity Comments
OPEN POLLINATED
Country Gentleman 96 White
Double Standard 73 Bicolor
Golden Bantam 82 Rich corn flavor
BICOLOR
Bi Queen 92 Similar to Silver Queen; SW, NCLB
Butter and Sugar 75 Adapted to home gardens
Honey and Cream 80 Commonly grown for sale at road-side stands and community markets
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Honey and Frost 80 SW, S, R NCLB, SCLB
Quickie 64 Earliest bicolor
Sugar and Gold 67 Better in cooler climates
STANDARD – WHITE
Pearl White 75 Cold soil tolerant
Platinum Lady 86 Tender
Silver Queen 92 Top-quality white, good disease resistance; SW, NCLB
STANDARD YELLOW
Earlivee 58 Extra early
Golden Cross Bantam 85 Old-time favorite
Jubilee 82 Midseason; S
NK-199 84 Extra-deep kernels, a personal favorite
Sundance 69 Good early
SUGARY ENHANCER
Bicolor Ambrosia 75 Large, tasty; SW
Calico Belle 79 Delicious; SW, R
Peaches & Cream 83 Popular garden variety, glitzy name
Seneca Dawn 69 Early, vigorous plants, quality eating
SUGARY ENHANCER – WHITE
Cotton Candy 72 Fancy name, extended harvest
Divinity 78 All-around excellent variety; SW
Pristine 76 Top quality; SW
Seneca Starshine 71 Tender, flavorful
Spring Snow 65 Very early, tender
Sugar Snow 71 Very sweet, good in early cool weather
SUGARY ENHANCER – YELLOW
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Bodacious 72 Superior quality, needs warm soil for good start
Champ 68 Excellent, early
For Heaven’s Sake Variable Bred specifically for home gardens; ears mature at different times to spread harvest
Kandy Korn 89 Top quality, keeps well
Miracle 84 Large, tasty ears; SW, S, R, NCLB
Precocious 66 Excellent, very early
Spring Treat 67 Nice straight rows of kernels, very early
Terminator 83 Large ears
Tuxedo 75 Vigorous, excellent quality, try this one; SW, S, R, NCLB, SCLB
SUPERSWEET – BICOLOR
Candy Corner 76 Popular at community markets
Honey ‘N Pearl 78 AAS
Serendipity 82 So-called TripleSweet‚Ñ¢ with enhanced flavor and shelf life
SUPERSWEET – MULTICOLOR
Indian Summer 79 Red, white, yellow and purple kernels. AAS
SUPERSWEET – WHITE
How Sweet It Is 85 AAS, does not tolerate cold soil; SW, NCLB
SUPERSWEET – YELLOW
Challenger 76 Excellent early; SW, NCLB
Early Xtra Sweet 70 Similar to original
Illini Xtra Sweet 85 The first supersweet hybrid
Jubilee Super Sweet 83 Best for home gardens; S
Legend 68 New, early
TRIPLESWEET‚Ñ¢
Honey Select 79 AAS. This is a new type that combines SE and SH2 characteristics in one variety. Designed for home gardens
Abbreviations for disease resistance:
NCLB=Northern corn leaf blight, R=common rust, S=corn smut, SCLB=Southern corn leaf blight, SW=Stewarts Wilt. (MDM=Maize dwarf mosaic virus is just becoming a problem in garden-grown sweet corn; resistance will be added to some current varieties as they are improved.)
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