Sweet Corn?

[lawdog]

I planted Kandy Korn sweet corn for the first time ever this year. How do I know when its ready??? I planted three rows, one May 20, One May 27 and the last June 3. I was late... Anyway, the first row has ears getting fairly big and the second row has small ears. The third row isn't looking so great but its tassled...

[rainylakefisher]

An experienced gardener (my mom) somehow knows just by squeezing the ear, but generally the silk is mostly brown and dry. You can always peel back some of the husk to check if fully developed kernels are near the tip of the cob, but you want to do that sparingly as bugs get in there pretty quick.

FYI, corn is much better planted in square shapes as it needs to cross polinate and single rows rarely produce as well. If your garden is 30' long, you're better off planting 4 rows at 15' long than 2 rows at 30' long. Clear as mud?

[harvey lee]

Jeff, I will come down and check it, pick it and then let you know how it was.

I agree, go with the brown silk and how dry it is. I just pull the husk back a tich and look.

[lawdog]

I paid $7 for a dozen ears of this stuff in town last weekend Tom, I'm guarding it with my life and nobody will get off the yard with any... This year was just a test run, I didn't plant enough to share but I plan to expand next year if I figure out how to make this work.

[Dotch]

A good rule of thumb Jeff is about 3 weeks from tasseling, give or take a few days either way depending on variety, heat, rainfall and soil moisture. Above normal solar radiation in July (7.5% at the SROC) has probably moved it ahead of what straight GDU calculations would indicate if our sweet corn is any indication. For best pollination, it should be planted at a minimum of 4 rows per block, same as most corn.

[lawdog]

Dotch I only understood about 1/2 of that post, but thanks for the info!! Sounds like next year I need to move to at least a four row plan and adjust how I do the time spreading a little away from by row I guess. I will have to plan ahead a little better than I did this year. Can't wait to try some of this anyway and see how it turned out.

[harvey lee]

Yes, every year my wife thinks I lost it when I come home with some early peaches & cream corn that I purchased in Iowa for a premium. But, its good.

[KEN W]

Dotch is right.The easiest way to tell is by days.When about 1/2 the silks are showing go in the house and count 18-20 days from that date and mark it on the calander.

As for now.......the tips of the ears should be blunt not pointed.If all else fails,pull back a little of the husk and check it.

[Fish Toys]

Peel a little of the husk back to see if it’s mature. You can tell by the color or the size of the kernels. Don’t let the silk get to dry or your corn will be starting to get old. Once it’s close to being right for picking it seems like it all will be ready at once. With the hot weather we’ve been having mine matured really fast. I’ve been giving away some sweetcorn now being it’s too much for us. The later planted corn is catching up fast. The corn that was planted a little over 2 weeks later than the first planted has been ready for 4 days now and the earlier corn will be a ready in about a week. Odd year.Must have 6 different planting dates.

Being I get in the house late I usually nuke it either in the husk or husk it. No mess in the house if it’s husked in the garden.