Heirloom Sweet Corn Germination Rates

[Meadowlark]

Interesting...and the base surprising.

 

[redback]

I did another germination test off a single cob.
Tip: 4/8 sprouted.
Middle: 7/8 sprouted.
Base: 4/8 sprouted.

So there is better fertility at the middle of the cob. I guess if you want better germination rates, then you'll have to discard the tip and the base kernels.

The test is whether or not it grows true to type. You will have to plant some seed next summer to see if it does produce Supersweet cobs and kernels.

 

[YumYum]

The test is whether or not it grows true to type. You will have to plant some seed next summer to see if it does produce Supersweet cobs and kernels.

This is Stowells Evergreen sweet heirloom corn. One of my neighbors did plant corn so a chance of cross pollination can still occur. Not exactly a fool proof chance of keeping the same variety corn so I'll have to see next year as you say.

I mainly wanted to find an heirloom corn that was decent tasting that I could keep seed from in case things get worse. I may just plant hybrid corn next year if it isn't $20/lb by then.

 

[Meadowlark]

...
I mainly wanted to find an heirloom corn that was decent tasting that I could keep seed from in case things get worse. I may just plant hybrid corn next year if it isn't $20/lb by then.

Uhm, I hate to break the news to you but if you can find it for less than $30/lb you better buy it and resell it in small 1-ounce packages for $20 each, LOL. I've seen it as much as $45/lb .

The stuff isn't cheap and let me tell you it hurts in more ways than one if you get bad weather and poor germination...but it won't stop me from growing by far the best tasting veggie a home gardener can grow.

 

[YumYum]

Uhm, I hate to break the news to you but if you can find it for less than $30/lb you better buy it and resell it in small 1-ounce packages for $20 each, LOL. I've seen it as much as $45/lb .

The stuff isn't cheap and let me tell you it hurts in more ways than one if you get bad weather and poor germination...but it won't stop me from growing by far the best tasting veggie a home gardener can grow.

Hehe. I didn't really shop the hybrid corn prices last Spring so I don't know what the price was but the Stowells Evergreen sweet corn was $8.95/lb. Going to get more expensive Im afraid.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

This is Stowells Evergreen sweet heirloom corn. One of my neighbors did plant corn so a chance of cross pollination can still occur. Not exactly a fool proof chance of keeping the same variety corn so I'll have to see next year as you say.

I mainly wanted to find an heirloom corn that was decent tasting that I could keep seed from in case things get worse. I may just plant hybrid corn next year if it isn't $20/lb by then.

Honey select sweet corn everywhere I looked or called was 20 to 25 dollars a pound in Kentucky. Getting very pricey. I dread to see the price this coming spring.

 

[YumYum]

Hmmmm. I still have some Incredible corn seed leftover plus this Stowells Evergreen seed. I may have to find out the price the year after then.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

Hmmmm. I still have some Incredible corn seed leftover plus this Stowells Evergreen seed. I may have to find out the price the year after then.

That stowells corn is very popular around here in the mountains of Eastern ky. If you plant it make for sure there's no hybrid sweet corn close cause it'll defentily mix.
I remember the old man would plant stowells and then plant I think it was called tender treat sweet corn at the end of the field about 500 feet or more away and it would still mix.

 

[YumYum]

That stowells corn is very popular around here in the mountains of Eastern ky. If you plant it make for sure there's no hybrid sweet corn close cause it'll defentily mix.
I remember the old man would plant stowells and then plant I think it was called tender treat sweet corn at the end of the field about 500 feet or more away and it would still mix.

Yea I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks.

 

[gary350]

I live in Murfreesboro TN. The sweeter corn is the worse germination is. Super sweet & triple sweet have about 50% germination. You can buy, 65 day corn, 90 day, 120 day. 65 day corn plants are small 6' tall and ears are small 7" long with about 400 kernels. 90 day corn is 8' tall, ears are 9" with 700 kernels. 120 day corn is 10' tall, ears are 12" with 1200 kernels. Long day crops harvest is always larger. 90 day sweet corn has better germination 95%. When soil is 65° or warmer its time to plant corn. Our TN weather is so crazy it is had to find a good day to plant. We have rain 6 days a week until Jan to April 1st then rain starts slowing down.

This year there was no rain for 4 days so I tilled soil and planted 400 seeds, 100 seeds in each 4 rows. Then nonstop rain for 2 weeks about 180 seeds rotted in the cold mud. I gave each row a whole kitchen food can of Urea. I used an empty food can from the kitchen to measure fertilizer. When corn in knee high it gets another 1 can Urea for each row.

When corn is 4' tall it gets 2 cans of fertilizer per row. When ears have silks plants get 2 cans of Urea for each row. TN is desert June to Oct about 1" of rain 1 time every month. I water corn often. When ears are starting to grow I water corn every day. When ear silks are very dry it is time to test kernels every day kernels are only 100% ripe for 1 day.

Poke the kernels with something sharp if they are dry they are not ready. If clear water comes out kernels are not ready. If milky white sweet water comes out corn is ready. Punch kernels on several plants if they all have sweet milky water it's harvest day. Pick the entire crop. This year I planted G90 bicolor sweet corn again it cost $10 for 1 lb of seeds at Farmers co-op. 1 lb of seeds will last me 3 years or longer. We put 40 quarts of ripe corn kernels in the freezer.

 

[Meadowlark]

Honey select sweet corn everywhere I looked or called was 20 to 25 dollars a pound in Kentucky. Getting very pricey. I dread to see the price this coming spring.

That's better than the prices I see online.

I checked online for the price of G90 for 1 pound. It ranged from $25 to $28 per pound.

 

[YumYum]

That stowells corn is very popular around here in the mountains of Eastern ky. If you plant it make for sure there's no hybrid sweet corn close cause it'll defentily mix.
I remember the old man would plant stowells and then plant I think it was called tender treat sweet corn at the end of the field about 500 feet or more away and it would still mix.

What were the signs that the corn crossed each other?

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

What were the signs that the corn crossed each other?

Best I can remember I was just a kid learning gardening at the time, is the hybrid yellow sweet corn would somehow develop white kernels and it tasted nothing like a hybrid sweet corn.
Like I said, it's been many years ago, and there could have been other signs.
He finally gave up and only planted the hybrid.
The funny thing I sometimes will plant a big patch of white hickory king around the same location as he grew the stowells evergreen and I've never had anything cross, but I've never grown any heirloom corn.

 

[YumYum]

The funny thing I sometimes will plant a big patch of white hickory king around the same location as he grew the stowells evergreen and I've never had anything cross, but I've never grown any heirloom corn.

Isn't Hickory King an heirloom corn.

 

[gary350]

What were the signs that the corn crossed each other?

Seed spacing 5" apart. Row spacing 32" apart. Plant north south rows so plants get sun on both sides.