SWEETCORN - growing different types together

[beckydore]

I have 5 different types of sweetcorn this year... and am slightly concerned by the comment on the back of the packet that says 'Xtra tender' corn can be grown with 'Supersweet' corns but isolate from Sugary enhanced types as they will grow starchy.

Most of the seeds I have got came from a swap so I don't know what type they are / which should go together.

Swift F1 - Xtra tender.
Minipop
Two's sweeter
Sparrow F1
Stowells Evergreen Heirloom

Anyone got any ideas? and what is the minimum number of each that I should plant?

Becky

[beckydore]

[saddad]

Unless you are attempting to save seed (don't it's very trcky with sweetcorn) there is no minimum number I aim for at least 25 of each sort. Tend to have 30 Minipop and @48 Ovation. and a few silly ones like Bloody Butcher or Hopi Blue..  :)

[Twoflower]

Is the blue one nice? I have been given some for my birthday, look pretty but?

[beckydore]

I've not got anywhere near that many of each so I'll sow them all and see what happens. I guess it'll be a few weeks before I'm planting out so hopefully someone will be able to say which go together / need to be split up before then.

[saddad]

Coloured corn tends to be "heritage" varieties like Hopi Blue or Bloody Butcher,
They were not selected for sweetness, that is a trend of the last 50-60 years, but as a staple for "bread" hence corn... think Tortillas and fajitas...
or "porridge" like Hominy and grits... like we used oats... there was no true wheat in the Americas before the Europeans arrived. They usually have a higher starch content and make good pop corn... the short red one is sold as "popcorn", and usually retains some coloured tinge...  ;D

[beckydore]

mine are all a boring yellow.  :(

[Robert_Brenchley]

I bet they taste better than the coloured ones though!

[realfood]

Beckydore, can you tell me which packet of your sweetcorn seeds gave that information.
According to T&M, Swift an extra tender and sweet type, does not require isolation from other sweetcorn varieties.
I am curious to find out why this may be the case.

[beckydore]

It is a packet of Mr Fothergills Swift F1 Sweetcorn.
Like you say it says they are bred to be 'Xtra tender', heavy cobs that are really sweet and juicy.
but then later on it says
'Xtra tender' corn can be grown with 'Supersweet' corns but isolate from Sugary enhanced types as they will grow starchy.


... I'm obviously not the only one who is confused by this though.. I just found this post on another board...
http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/showthread.php?p=819907

[chriscross1966]

The issue with sweetcorn is that it is one of the few F1 hybrids where the crop is a seed as opposed to a fruit, leaf, tuber or root. As a result you have to worry about the genetics of both parents as they will both impact on the quality of the crop..... With sweetcorn, especially if you are growing a mixture of modern F1's and heirlooms, I'd suggest you want to achieve the maximum possible gap between the older and newer varieties and also between the various new ones.... Also grow the varieties in blocks rather than rows to try to keep the pollination consistant.....

I'm growing earlibird F1 and Blue Hopi this year (will be sowing them next week) and I'm planning on doing them as far apart as I can manage. The Hopi will be part of a 3-sisters planting with borlotti climbing beans and butternut squash while the earlibird will be in bulk builders bags of topsoil and manure about 20 yards away hosting peas and gherkins.....

chrisc

[thifasmom]

Coloured corn tends to be "heritage" varieties like Hopi Blue or Bloody Butcher,
They were not selected for sweetness, that is a trend of the last 50-60 years, but as a staple for "bread" hence corn... think Tortillas and fajitas...
or "porridge" like Hominy and grits... like we used oats... there was no true wheat in the Americas before the Europeans arrived. They usually have a higher starch content and make good pop corn... the short red one is sold as "popcorn", and usually retains some coloured tinge...  ;D

Saddad if these are grown more for bread making and such how do you use them, fresh or dry and ground up as corn flour?

[Vortex]

Saddad - where did you get your heritage seed ? I assume they're open pollinated.

[Mr Smith]

 Several  plants in the latest batch of my  Sweetcorn  seem to have a problem, they are now about six inches/150mil  high but some of the leaves on the plants are wilting and drooping, they are kept inside over night but during the day they have been placed outside along with other plants which are OK, any suggestions on what the problem could be having done a search it seems that Sweetcorn are pretty resilient to disease, :) 

[Robert_Brenchley]

Too cold? Mine aren't going outside at all yet.

[Mr Smith]

Robert,
               Thats what I thought I will have to give the wife a thrashing, ;)

[saddad]

Can't remember where I got them from... this years "Mexican Giant White" was from Jungleseeds... but I think they were from Seeds of Distinction...
Yes Rekella dried and "milled" into flour... but I only ever get as far as "popping" them...  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

Robert,
               Thats what I thought I will have to give the wife a thrashing, ;)

Don't use a stick thicker than your thumb. That was the law in Victorian times.

[thifasmom]

Yes Rekella dried and "milled" into flour... but I only ever get as far as "popping" them...  :)

do they all pop ok? i thought popcorn was specific to certain varietites are most of the more starchy types able to be popped??

[saddad]

Yes, all the starchy ones will Pop...  :)

[boltonlad]

Have put mine out already up here in the north, just used 2 litre pop bottles with the ends cut off over the top of them.