I want to plant corn for the first time this year and would like some advice. We are looking for a bicolor sweet corn and there are dozens of varieties. Any personal recommendations or general things to look for in terms of insect or disease resistance? This would be for southeastern PA.
corn for eating recommendation
- Thread starter Harvster
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czechsonofagun
Elite Member
Harvster said:
We plant every year Peaches & Cream Bicolor Hybrid Corn, great taste but one year we had a lot of Japanese Beetle and it pretty much destroyed it.
DUMBDOG
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Harvster said:
The variety of corn that does well for you will depend upon your soil. Another factor is the type of corn that you like to eat. Do you want it to taste like corn, or do you want it ooze sugar when you eat it.
The link that czechsonofagun has provided for peaches and cream corn is the first time that I have seen peaches and cream listed as a SE corn. Most places, it is a HSE or a sugar content of 20-30 per cent rather than the 30-35 per cent of the SE. But then we have a vendor in our market that calls his corn peaches and cream, no matter what variety of bi colored corn that he is selling.
Corn will range from SU (8-18 per cent sugar content) to Sh2 SL (40-45 per cent sugar content). My personal preference is for the SE corn which tastes like corn and not overly sweet like some of the super sweet varieties.
We have had many people come back and ask for our corn by name as they really liked the combination of corn flavor and mild sweetness. It is called Ambrosia. It is a SE corn.
As far as the insects go, each year is different with the amount of wildlife that will show up in the corn in a given year, unless you want to spray and not have an organic product. Even if you do not spray you will not have a true organic product unless you start out with seed from a certified organic producer.
In each of the last three years, we have planted five to eight acres of sweet corn and have used a few different varieties each year to come up with the one that people came back and asked for. We will be sticking with Ambrosia as we have had good results with it.
WayneB
Elite Member
You can get all of the bi-color corns, but I would also suggest you plant some Silver Queen. It is big ears and a white corn, but great to eat. I always plant it later in the season, around June 15 in NH and it is ready to eat late August.
Really tall stocks to so you can use in the fall bunched up for Halloween
Silver Queen Mat No Longer Be the Ruling Sweet Corn Variety
Although this mentions Silver Queen may not be the ruling sweet corn, try it and see for yourself...
Wayne
Really tall stocks to so you can use in the fall bunched up for Halloween
Silver Queen Mat No Longer Be the Ruling Sweet Corn Variety
Although this mentions Silver Queen may not be the ruling sweet corn, try it and see for yourself...
Wayne
Birdhunter1
Veteran Member
An old fart told me last year that if you take an oil squirt can and fill it with vegetable oil and go around to each ear when the hair starts to show and squirt a shot of vegetable oil in the ear it will keep the bugs out. Considerig he's an old fart I'm gonna take his advice, he's either right or he just wants to get a laugh out of hearing about me out in the hot June sun shooting vegetable oil in my sweet corn.
Bugs have to walk through the oil to invade the ear...the oil plugs their shell...most bugs "breathe" through their shell/outer coverring and thus suffocate. We used to walk the corn when silk appeared with a sprayer with dormant oil (used widely on fruit trees), and spray each ear generously. Made a big difference.Birdhunter1 said:
At least that's my story.........
Seriously...the oil helps.
grizer
Member
Silver Queen.
Wil
Bronze Member
Probably can't do the vegetable oil thing out here in Yuma Az. probably just wind up with pop corn all over the place in our heat. ;-)
Another old fart. ;-)
Another old fart. ;-)
rdln
Veteran Member
sugar ace for bicolor and silver queen for white corn.
i prefer the silver queen, i like texture and the way the kernels snap off as you chew.
i prefer the silver queen, i like texture and the way the kernels snap off as you chew.
Thanks for all the responses folks! I had my heart set on a bicolor (mostly because we get some on Long Island that is fantastic, but I don't know the variety) but, the silver queen seems to have a loyal following. This leads me to another question. I've heard that some corn varieties don't play nice when the are planted near each other. So how far apart would I have to plant separate kinds...100ft...1000ft?
I've been growing peaches and cream every year for 10 years or more,grows even when its real dry,like last year,,100 ft should be plenty enough room between different kinds,maybe not down wind? I just grow the one kind but every now and than I grow popcorn and its never more than 100-150 ft away with no problems,,,,,
That old fart oiling his corn ears must not be planting a very big patch? thingy
That old fart oiling his corn ears must not be planting a very big patch? thingy
HappyCPE
Gold Member
How about Golden Bantam? Tastes like corn, not just sugar. Also has a short shelf life. Kind of old fashioned.
My understanding is that different types, i.e. hybrid groups, need to be seperated by 100 feet OR 14 days. This is to prevent cross pollination.
My understanding is that different types, i.e. hybrid groups, need to be seperated by 100 feet OR 14 days. This is to prevent cross pollination.
Volfandt
Veteran Member
Silver Queen is great but some folks just don't like white corn.
If thats the case then try Golden queen, same strain but the kernals are yellow.
We prefer Silver Queen but back when I sold corn Golden Queen was the most popular.
Another standard is Merit, it's not nearly as sweet but gives good big ears.
Like the song say's, I don't want to live where corn don't grow
If thats the case then try Golden queen, same strain but the kernals are yellow.
We prefer Silver Queen but back when I sold corn Golden Queen was the most popular.
Another standard is Merit, it's not nearly as sweet but gives good big ears.
Like the song say's, I don't want to live where corn don't grow
