{"id":1001,"date":"2019-08-31T03:10:36","date_gmt":"2019-08-31T03:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=1001"},"modified":"2019-10-07T02:19:49","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T02:19:49","slug":"corn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/31\/corn\/","title":{"rendered":"Corn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Zea<\/em> <\/em>mays<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: This warm weather annual differs from all other common garden vegetables in being the only a member of the grass family (Poaceae<\/em>). It is thought to have originated somewhere in Central America, though it is no longer found anywhere as a wild plant (it may be descended from the closely related Teosinte, which is still found in the wild in Mexico). It also differs from most other vegetable crops in being a highly productive and easily used staple food crop. Native people have cultivated corn for over 5000 years and it has its own distinct personality, which made it not only a staple food, but also an integral part of their culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn was introduced into\nEurope in the sixteenth century and spread from there to all suitable climates\naround the world. There are several different types of corn (see Varieties<\/strong>), but they are all grown in much the\nsame way, only their uses differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Sweet corn is rich in carbohydrate, as well\nas soluble fiber, folate, niacin, thiamin and phosphorus. It also contains useful\nphytochemicals. Yellow varieties also contain vitamin A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field corn is rich in protein, carbohydrates, potassium, calcium and the\namino acids leucine and methionine (the latter is lacking in beans, which is\nwhy they go together so well). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niacin<\/strong>: When corn was introduced to the rest of the\nworld in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries a little snippet of important\ninformation was left behind in its homeland. The niacin in corn is not very\navailable and requires special processing before humans are able to make use of\nit. As corn became a staple food in many\npoor areas a problem developed, as some people started to show symptoms of niacin deficiency. This results in an\nunpleasant deficiency disease called pellagra.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its native land corn is soaked in an alkaline solution of water\nand calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) or wood ashes. This process is known as\nnixtamalization and has several important effects. The most important is that\nit makes the niacin in the corn more available. It also softens the cellulose\nin the seed, making it easier to grind and making it possible to make it into\ndough for making tortillas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Sweet\ncorn is one of the ultimate treats of the summer garden (it makes my mouth\nwater thinking about it), but it isn\u2019t really a good crop for small gardens.\nYou need quite few plants to ensure good pollination and they aren\u2019t very\nproductive for the space they require.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a nutritional and self sufficiency\nviewpoint field corn is much more important than sweet corn. It is one of the\neasiest and most productive of all cereal crops to grow and process and it can\nbe used in a variety of ways for making cornbread, tortillas, polenta and more.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone\nseeking food self sufficiency in a warm climate will probably end up growing a\nlot of corn (emulating many peasants around the world).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to use corn as a staple food it needs to be processed to make its niacin available. Fortunately this is pretty easy to do (see Nixtamalization<\/strong> below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Ease of growing:<\/strong> Corn is a fairly easy and reliable crop to grow if you give it moist, fertile soil and warm weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nClimate<\/strong>: Corn is a subtropical plant and uses C4 photosynthesis, which\nenables it to grow more efficiently in high heat and light levels. For best\ngrowth it needs warm weather and as much sunlight as it can get. If it doesn\u2019t\nget full sun all day it will grow more slowly and won\u2019t be as productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 5.5 (6.0\n– 6.8)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn grows well in a variety of soils, but it\nis a hungry plant and needs a lot of nutrients for maximum production. The\nideal soil is rich, moisture retentive and well-drained. Field corn isn\u2019t quite\nas demanding as sweet corn, but the better the soil the better the crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: This vigorous and fast growing crop needs generous amounts of\nnitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as all of the other plant\nnutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporate 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure into the top 8\u02dd of soil,\nalong with colloidal phosphate (for phosphorus) and wood ashes (for potassium).\nAdd kelp to supply the necessary trace elements. Alternatively you could use an\norganic fertilizer mix to supply these nutrients, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn is sometimes planted into a bed 2 weeks after a nitrogen\nfixing winter cover crop (such as fava beans) is incorporated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that Native Americans put a fish in each hill of\ncorn, to supply the necessary nutrients. This isn\u2019t true though, when soil\nfertility started to decline they would just move their gardens to new soil (one of the advantages of not\n\u201cowning\u201d land). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Sweet corn can be grown in an intensive bed, but it should be in\na large block for best pollination. It is a tall growing plant, so must be\nplanted where it won\u2019t shade other plants. If you are growing SH2 or SY types\nthey need to be isolated from other types, either by time (10 days) or distance\n(at least 25 ft).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field corn should probably be grown in its\nown separate patch, as you will need to plant quite a large area if you want to\nproduce a significant quantity of food. You might want to try growing it in a\npolyculture with squash and beans (see Three\nSisters<\/strong> for more on this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop rotation<\/strong>: Don\u2019t plant corn in the same soil for at least 3 years. In a\nrotation it commonly follows a nitrogen-fixing legume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Don\u2019t plant corn until at least 2 weeks after the last frost\ndate, when the soil has warmed up to a minimum of 60\u02daF (75\u02daF for the more\ntemperamental supersweet varieties). Native Americans traditionally waited\nuntil the plum trees bloomed, or the oak leaves were emerging before planting.\nIn cold soil, the seed takes a long time to germinate and there is a much\ngreater chance of loss to rot or some hungry creature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day length<\/strong>: Though it isn\u2019t as critical as with some crops, corn is day length sensitive to a varying degree (some varieties\nmore than others). If it is planted too late in the year it will often flower\nwhile the plants are quite small and there won\u2019t be much of a harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sowing<\/strong>: In the home garden you don\u2019t want a lot of corn ripening at once\n(unless you are going to freeze it). You can stagger the harvest, by succession\nsowing a block every 2 – 3 weeks. You could also plant several varieties with\ndifferent maturation times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Corn<\/strong>  <\/strong>

Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 50 (60 – 75) – 95\u02daF
Germ time: 3 – 10 days
22 days \/ 50\u02daF
12 days \/ 59\u02daF
7 days \/ 68\u02daF
4 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
4 days \/ 86\u02daF
3 days \/ 95\u02daF
Seed viability:
                    Sweet Corn 1 – 3 years
                     Field Corn 3 – 5 years
Germination percentage: 75%+
Weeks to grow transplant: 3 – 4  <\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Tender
Growing temp: 50 (60 – 75) 95\u02daF
Plants per person: 15
Plants per sq ft: 1 plant needs 1 – 2 sq ft
Days to harvest: 60 – 150 days  

Planting<\/strong> Transplants:<\/strong>
Start: 2 wks before last frost
Plant out: 2 wks after last frost
Direct sow: 2 wks after last frost  <\/strong>

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Harvest period: 2 – 3 weeks
Yield per plant: 2 – 4 ears
Yield per sq ft: 1 – 3 ears   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting inside<\/strong>: Corn can be started indoors, but this is only worthwhile for\nvery early corn, where the growing season is exceptionally short (or cool), or\nto avoid predators such as birds and mice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is best to start corn seed in cell packs, soil blocks or plug\ntrays as it doesn\u2019t really like disturbance. Sow 2 seeds in each cell or block\nand thin to the best one when they have all emerged. If germination is likely\nto be very good, you might just plant one seed per cell. The seedlings grow\nrapidly and will get root-bound if left in their containers for very long.\nIdeally they should be out of their pots and in the ground within 3 weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: Corn is usually direct sown, because it grows fast, doesn\u2019t like\ntransplanting and it is less work. In spring when the soil is cool, it should\nbe planted only 1\u02dd deep. Later in the year, when the soil is warm, it may be\nplanted as deep as 4\u02dd. The less vigorous seed of hybrid varieties is usually\nplanted only \u00be – 1\u02dd deep (this should be consistent as they are sensitive to\nthis). Plant twice as many seeds as you need and thin to the desired spacing\nwhen they are several inches high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get the plants off to a good start, you can soak the seeds\novernight prior to planting (sweet corn is more temperamental than field corn and\nneeds more moisture to germinate). For an even faster start you could\npre-germinate them, but be careful not to break the brittle roots <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some areas mice or birds can be a major problem in spring, in\nwhich case you can use rows covers (these also keep the seedlings warmer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hill\nplanting<\/strong>: Native Americans\nused to plant their corn in hills. These were quite literally small flattened\nmounds about 18\u02dd in diameter. They planted 6 – 8 seeds in each hill, at a depth\nof 2 – 4\u02dd and spaced evenly in a circle about 9\u02dd in diameter. The hills were spaced\nabout 4 feet apart in the rows and there was about 4 feet between the rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Row planting<\/strong>: Corn is usually planted in rows, but to ensure good pollination\n(which means full ears) it is important that the rows be in blocks. These\nshould consist of at least four rows each. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: Put the plants 6 – 8\u02dd apart in the rows, with 24 – 36\u02dd between\nthe rows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: Plant in offsets rows across the bed. The distance apart depends\nupon the soil: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

18\u02dd (poor soil) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

15\u02dd (average soil) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

12\u02dd (excellent soil) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poor emergence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may be caused by several factors; cold\nor wet soil, poor seed, birds, mice, rotting of seed, soil compaction or\ncrusting, insects, disease or too deep planting. Sweet corn is more vulnerable\nthan other types because it contains less food in the form of starch (the sh2\nand se types are particularly temperamental).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeding<\/strong>: It is important to weed the plants carefully while they are\nyoung. After they reach 12\u02dd in height they can deal with almost any weed. The young\nplants can be hoed quite closely, as they don\u2019t have shallow roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: Sweet corn is a thirsty plant and needs a constant supply of\nwater for best growth. This is especially crucial during tasselling and\nsubsequent ear maturation. A soaker hose or drip system is the best way to\nirrigate. Be careful when overhead watering as it can interfere with\nfertilization during the pollen shedding stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally field corn needs significantly less water than sweet\ncorn, especially those varieties bred for growing in dry climates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: It is a good idea to give the young plants a boost of nitrogen\n(such as compost tea or liquid kelp) when the seedlings are about 12\u02dd tall and\ngrowing rapidly. Give them another boost when the silks appear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pollination<\/strong>: Corn is wind-pollinated and getting good pollination is a\ncritical aspect of corn growing. If you don\u2019t get good pollination, the ears\nmay be only half filled and you won\u2019t have a good crop. Overhead irrigation and\nwet weather can impede pollination<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The male tassel on top of the plant gives off pollen for a couple\nof days before the female flowers (the silks) become receptive. When the silks\nare receptive, you can improve pollination by gently shaking the plants, so\npollen comes cascading down from the tassels. This should be done on a still\nday of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases the type of pollen a plant receives will determines\nits taste characteristics. This means you should ideally only have one kind of\ncorn flowering at one time (unless you are prepared to hand pollinate). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genetic purity is most important with the super sweet hybrids and\nthey should probably be isolated from all other types of corn. It is not so\nimportant for field corn, unless you are saving the seed for planting (in which\ncase you may want to hand pollinate).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is helpful to note when half of your sweet corn plants are\nshowing silks, because they will be ready to harvest from 18 – 22 days later.\nThe exact time depends upon temperature and growing conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suckers<\/strong>: Corn plants often produce suckers, smaller stems, which if left\nalone may eventually flower and produce small ears. Some people believe theses\ndrain energy from the plant and remove them as they appear. This isn\u2019t really\nnecessary though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Many pests attack corn at various stages of growth. These\ninclude cutworms, corn rootworms, wireworms, aphids, flea beetles, corn\nearworm, corn borers, Japanese beetles, sap beetles, raccoons, squirrels and\nbirds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn Earworm<\/strong>: This is perhaps the most common corn pest. It burrows down into\nthe ear, eating the seeds and making quite a mess. It isn\u2019t usually a problem\non early corn, but can affect almost every ear of a late planting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that corn earworm damage is mostly cosmetic and\nis usually confined to the tip of the ear. All you have to do is chop this off\nand the person eating the corn won\u2019t even be aware there was a problem (if only\nall garden pests were so easy to deal with). Supposedly some varieties have\ntighter husks than others and so are less affected (i.e. Country Gentleman).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diseases<\/strong>: Potential disease problems include: bacterial wilt, maize dwarf\nmosaic, corn leaf blights, root rot and rust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn Smut <\/strong>(Ustilago maydis<\/em>): <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn smut is a fungus disease that infects corn\nplants, producing swollen growths on the ears. In the United States it is\nconsidered a pest and is destroyed whenever it occurs. In Mexico it is known as\nhuitlacoche and is considered a delicacy that is actually worth more than corn.\nIt has an earthy, sweet mushroom-like flavor and is said to be very good (I\nhave never been lucky enough to get any to try). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attempts have been made to popularize corn smut as a food in the\nUnited States by re-naming it Mexican truffle. Perhaps one day it will become a\nuseful crop here too. I have no doubt high end restaurants would eat it up if\nyou could grow it for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For culinary use this fungus should be\ngathered while it is still moist and immature, about 2 – 3 weeks after the\ninitial infection. The mature fungus eventually releases a cloud of brown\nspores. If you are lucky enough to have corn smut, you could try collecting\nsome of the spores. The Aztecs used to deliberately infect their plants with\nthem and you could try doing the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutrient\ndeficiency:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nitrogen deficiency is common in corn, especially if the soil is\ncold or unusually wet or dry. Young plants will be spindly and their leaves\nwill be pale and slightly yellow (rather than deep green). Treat it by feeding\nyour plants compost tea or other high nitrogen liquid fertilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet\ncorn<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: More than almost any other crop, it is important to gather sweet\ncorn at the right time. The ears mature from 17 – 23 days after pollination\n(depending upon the weather) and there are many indicators of maturity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet corn ripens quickly in warm weather, so watch it carefully\nand harvest when it is ready (it is only really good for a few days). If you\ncan\u2019t use it immediately, freeze it, or give it away. If not harvested at the\nright time it will be wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Snap the ripe ear from the plant by pulling it downwards, being\ncareful not to break the plant, or damage its neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field Corn<\/strong>: Harvesting field corn is much easier than sweet corn; simply\nleave the ears until the entire plant turns brown and dry. Then remove the\nhusks and dry the whole ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch for birds when the corn is ripe as they will sometimes strip\nseed from the whole ears. If they start to do this it is probably best to\nharvest immediately. You don\u2019t want it to become a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to tell when sweet corn is ripe<\/strong>  

The silks wither and turn dark brown.  
The ear feels fat.  
The end becomes rounded rather than pointed.  
The ear tilts away from the stem.  

To check if an ear is ripe, pull open the top of the husk and squeeze a
kernel. If it is fat and spurts milky juice, it is ready. If it is dimpled and
spurts watery juice, it\u2019s not yet ripe (just close up the husk). Be aware
that some super sweet varieties may have clear juice and still be ripe.   If the kernel is fat and tough, the ear is probably over-mature and will
be starchy and not very good.

You can also wait for raccoons to start eating it.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet corn<\/strong>: Most types\nof sweet corn are best when used immediately and deteriorate quickly after\npicking. The super sweets can be stored for a few days in the fridge (the low\ntemperature slows down the conversion of sugar to starch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field corn: <\/strong>The dry ears can be stored whole (they are quite decorative), but\nthe seed takes up less space if you remove it from the ears. Make sure the seed\nis completely dry before storing it, otherwise it will go moldy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: Saving corn seed is a little more complicated than most other\ncrops, because you have to worry about inbreeding (corn strains are very\ninbred). If you want to maintain a pure variety indefinitely you need to save\nseed from at least 50 plants (some say the absolute minimum is 100 with 200\nbeing ideal) to maintain sufficient genetic variability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are growing field corn this isn\u2019t a big deal, you can just\ncollect a few seeds from each mature ear and use the rest for food. It is a\nproblem with sweet corn though, because you have to let the ears mature and dry\nfully to get the best seed. This essentially means you have to let one whole\near of sweet corn mature on each plant and only eat any others. Of course\nsaving all of the seed from 200 ears is a huge amount of seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this makes keeping sweet corn seed pure and vigorous a\nspecial project, rather than an incidental activity. This is made even more\ndifficult by the fact that sweet corn is quite short lived, so you can\u2019t just\ndo it once every few years. Saving sweet corn seed probably makes most sense as\na community project, to be undertaken cooperatively by many gardeners (or by\nsmall commercial growers).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you just want to save a little money on seed, you can forget\nabout all I have just said. Just save the seed from a few ears and plant it the\nfollowing year. The next year you could buy a packet of new seed and mix it\nwith your own seed to deepen the gene pool. This isn\u2019t ideal from a genetic\nstandpoint, but what have you got to lose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other problem with corn is that it is wind pollinated and can\ncross very easily. To keep a strain pure you must either hand pollinate, grow\nonly one variety at a time, or separate it from other tasselling plants by at\nleast 250 yards (1000 yards is better). You should also collect your seed from\nthe center of the stand, where there is less chance of stray pollen coming\nin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Native Americans saved their own field corn seed for thousands of\nyears, but they didn\u2019t worry about the purity of a strain. In fact they\nencouraged diversity in their seeds, by collecting seed from a variety of\nplants, rather than simply the \u2018best\u2019, as we tend to do.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hand pollination<\/strong>: This isn\u2019t difficult, but takes some time, especially if you are\npollinating 100 plants. The first step is to put a bag over the female flowers\nbefore the silks emerge, to prevent them being pollinated by any stray pollen.\nThis must be taped shut, to prevent any pollen entering. The next morning,\nafter the dew has dried, you go out and gently shake pollen from the newly\nopened tassels into a paper bag. Then simply transfer a little pollen onto the\nsilks of each plant with a brush. You then replace the bags and leave them on\nuntil the silks go brown. Mark the ears carefully so they don\u2019t get eaten\naccidentally (which would be a pain after all that extra effort). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early corn<\/strong>: If your growing season is short, or you just\nwant to get very early corn, start your seedlings indoors a couple of weeks\nbefore the last frost date. It also helps to warm the soil under black plastic\nfor a couple of weeks before planting out. Plant the seedlings on the last\nfrost date and cover with row covers, or cloches, to keep them warm until the\nweather warms up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby corn<\/strong>: These are the tiny immature cobs seen in Chinese restaurants.\nAny kind of sweet corn can be used, but there are special varieties (Baby\nAsian, Chires Baby Corn) that produce multiple ears per stem (Chires is said to\nproduce up to 40 ears per plant). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby Corn is grown in exactly the same way as sweet corn, though\nyou can plant it closer together (as close as 8\u02dd in fertile soil). The ears are\nharvested a couple of days after the silks show. As you might imagine this\nisn\u2019t a very productive crop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry\ngarden<\/strong>: Field corn can be dry farmed using\nonly the water that\u2019s held in the ground. The plants must be spaced further\napart for this to work. If you want to experiment with this then try and find a\nvariety that was developed in a dry climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three sisters<\/strong>  

Native Americans called corn, beans and squash, the three sisters and devised a very efficient method of growing them together. This works just as well today as it ever did and you may want to experiment with it. The corn stalks give the beans support, the squash creates a living mulch over the bare soil between the corn hills and the beans supply nitrogen. Even the foods they provide complement each other.

he corn is planted as described above, with 5 – 6 seeds in each hill. These are left to grow until they are about 10\u02dd tall and are then hilled up with soil to a height of about 6\u02dd (this makes them more stable). After hilling, 10 – 12 pole beans are planted in a circle around the growing corn, a few inches away from them. These sprout within 7 – 10 days. A week after they
have germinated, 5 squash seeds are planted around them, about a foot further out.

Once everything is growing there is little left to do, except ensure that they aren\u2019t overtaken by weeds and have enough water. You may want to
help the individual pole beans find corn stalks to climb up. The squash
will eventually cover and shade the ground, though you might feel the
need to direct growing shoots to bare areas, so they fill in more evenly.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you grow a lot of corn, you can save money by buying your corn\nseed in bulk from a farm supply store, rather in packets from the garden\ncenter. Of course you can also save your own open-pollinated field corn seed\nfor use in future years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field corn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you mention corn to a gardener, she will almost certainly think\nof sweet corn, as most of the corn grown by American gardeners is of this type.\nYet in the history of corn as a food crop, field corn is actually far more\nimportant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field corn varieties can be divided into several groups, according\nto the type of starch they produce. There is also considerable difference in\ncolor, with blue, white, red and yellow varieties.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dent Corn<\/strong>: Z mays var indentata<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kernels of dent corn have a depression in the middle (hence\nthe name) and their starch is a mixture of hard and soft. Almost 80% of\ncommercial field corn is of this type. Depending upon when they are picked, the\nkernels can be used for cornmeal, hominy, roasting corn or sweet corn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gourdseed\ncorn<\/strong> is a type of dent corn that is prized for making high quality\ncornmeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flint Corn<\/strong>: Z. mays var indurata <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flint corn grows better in cooler climates than most other types.\nThe starch in the semi-translucent seeds is very hard, which is how it gets its\nname. It is used for cornmeal, though it is so hard it can be difficult to\ngrind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soft Corn<\/strong>: Z. mays var amylacea<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The seeds contain mostly soft starch hence the name. This type of\ncorn is easily ground to meal and is commonly used for bread, tortillas and corn\nchips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popcorn<\/strong>: Z. mays var everata<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Popcorn kernels have a very hard outer layer and a soft inner\nlayer, a combination which makes them pop readily. They can also be used for\ncornmeal. Popcorn is a great crop for children to plant, as they get an extra\nspecial reward at the end of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strawberry\nPopcorn<\/strong> – This is the easiest variety to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japanese\nhulless<\/strong> – I have had good luck with this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet Corn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Z. mays var saccharata<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet corn differs from field corn in that it\nis harvested while immature and most of its food is in the form of sugar rather\nthan starch. This is why it is so sweet and why the seeds shrink when dried. It\nalso makes the seeds somewhat temperamental in their germination capacity and\naccounts for their short storage life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sweetness genes in sweet corn are\nrecessive so there must be a copy of the gene in both the flower and the\npollen. If sweet corn is pollinated by field corn it will be starchy instead of\nsweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corn is one of the few crops in which hybridization has made a big\ndifference. Hybrids are superior to non-hybrids in that they mature more\nuniformly and are often sweeter. Unfortunately you can\u2019t save the seed of a\nhybrid, as they don\u2019t come true to type (of course you may not care as it isn\u2019t\nthe easiest plant to save seed from anyway). There are several types of sweet corn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normal sugary (su)<\/strong> – Hybrids<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The (su) gene is found in all older sweet corn varieties (open\npollinated and hybrids) and its sugar starts to convert to starch soon after\npicking. These varieties aren\u2019t as sweet as other types, but often make up for\nit with good corn flavor. These types do better in less than ideal conditions,\nsuch as cool soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silver Queen F1<\/strong> – Late season (90 days), sweet and\ntender. It was the standard corn for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honey & Cream F1 <\/strong>– Vigorous plants, sweet bicolor corn, a\nclassic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Normal sugary (su)<\/strong> – Open pollinated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some traditionalists maintain that sweetness isn\u2019t everything and\nthat open pollinated varieties simply have a better corn flavor. If you grow\nthem, you have to be more on top of things, as they don\u2019t maintain their\nsweetness for very long. When harvesting you get to perform the boil water\nbefore harvesting ritual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country Gentleman <\/strong>– A shoe peg corn (kernels not in rows),\na classic for roasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden Bantam <\/strong>– A favorite for 100 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Painted Mountain<\/strong> – Multi-colored and genetically diverse. Can also be ground to\nflour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Super sweet corn <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were bred for commercial growers, as they remain sweet for\nmuch longer than conventional varieties. They can be divided into 3 types,\nsupersweet (sh2), sugary enhanced (se) and synergistic (sy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Super Sweet (sh2)<\/strong>: These contain <\/strong>the sh2 gene which not only makes them very\nsweet, but also means that their sugar converts to starch very slowly. It is\nimportant that they be fully mature before use, as they don\u2019t develop much corn\nflavor until this time. They are known for being quite crisp in texture (some\npeople call them tough). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These types don\u2019t contain a lot of starch, which makes them\nsomewhat temperamental to germinate in less than optimal conditions. They\nshouldn\u2019t even be planted until the soil is at least 65\u02daF and preferably 70\u02daF.\nThey also need to be isolated from other varieties while tasselling, otherwise\nthe resulting kernels will be tough and starchy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honey\n\u2018n Pearl F1<\/strong> – One of\nbest bi-colored sh2\u2019s<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xtra-Tender F1<\/strong>– White super sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugary Enhanced (se) (se+) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These contain a gene that enhances the normal sugary gene (su) and\nmakes the kernels sweeter and more tender (some people think it is mushy). In\naddition the sugar is only slowly converted to starch after picking. These\nvarieties don\u2019t require isolation from other varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar\nPearl F1 <\/strong>– An early\nwhite corn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How-Sweet-It-Is F1<\/strong>– One of the sweetest corns around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kandy Korn F1 <\/strong>– Stays sweet for 2 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar Buns F1 <\/strong>– An early (70 – 80 days yellow corn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synergistic (sy)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These varieties contain (su) (se) and (sh2) genes, which makes\nthem both tender and very sweet. They also need to be isolated from other\nvarieties when tasselling. They tend to be more vigorous than the sh2 types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montauk\nF1 – <\/strong>A bicolor\n(80 days).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional sweet corn begins to lose its sweetness as soon as it\nis harvested, because the sugar is gradually converted into starch. The sooner\nyou cook it, the less sweetness will be lost. Corn epicures say you should have\nthe water boiling before even picking your corn (and preferably out in the\nfield on a camp stove). Sadly this wonderfully obsessive ritual is dying out\nbecause the newer hybrids stay sweet much longer (another unexpected way\nscience makes our lives blander and more homogenized).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also cook corn in its husk on a barbecue or campfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other\nuses<\/strong>: Corn has traditionally been used for bread,\ntortillas, mush, beer, whiskey and animal feed. It is now a major industrial\ncrop, with thousands of uses from cornstarch to ethanol based motor fuel. It is\nalso the source of the notorious high fructose corn syrup which finds its way\ninto a huge number of processed foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweet corn chowder<\/strong>  <\/strong>

2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 onion
1 sweet pepper
2 cups corn kernels
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup potatoes
1 cup soy milk
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper  

Saute the carrot, celery, onion and pepper in the oil for a few minutes
then add the water and potatoes and simmer 10 minutes. Add the corn
and cook for another 10 minutes. Then mix the soy mil, flour and salt nd pepper and add to mix. Simmer for another 10 minutes.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Nixtamalization<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nis the process of treating field corn to make a more nutritious and versatile\nfood product known as corn masa meal. It is a fairly simple process, but\nsomewhat time consuming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put\n4 tbs pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) in 4 quarts of water and bring to a\nboil (wood ashes can also be used, though I\u2019m not sure of the quantity). Then\nadd 3 cups of washed dry corn and simmer until the skin of the corn kernels\nstart to peel off (how long this takes will vary from 1 – 3 hours). Then take\nthe pan off the heat, cover and leave overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next day you rinse the corn several\ntimes to remove all of the lime. The corn can then be ground to a coarse meal\nfor immediate use or dried for later use. If you want a finer meal you have to\nremove the skins of the kernels too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Zea mays Introduction: This warm weather annual differs from all other common garden vegetables in being the only a member of the grass family (Poaceae). It is thought to have … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seed-veg","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Corn.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1001"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1760,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1001\/revisions\/1760"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}