Topic: Sweetcorn please

[knbsallotment]

I was just wondering if anyone had some sweetcorn to spare? The variety doesn't bother me too much. I would be more than happy to swap anything I have going spare.

[sally_cinnamon]

KNB, I have some sweetcorn, Sundance and Minipop, but only about 5 of each, is that okay?
 :)

[ellkebe]

KNB - could let you have some Conqueror (about 10).  It's a supersweet F1 and I think the sweetness gets reduced if it cross pollinates with sweetcorn that's not supersweet - but you might want to check that out with someone who actually knows what they're talking about  ;D ;D 

Let me know if you're interested.

[ellkebe]

Forgot to say - you'll need to pm me tonight as tomorrow my computer gets taken away to be fixed  :(

[Jeannine]

yep, if you grow a supersweet with another non supersweet they will cross pollinate and they both will be starchy Xx Jeannine

[ellkebe]

Cheers Jeannine  :)

Minipop is a minicorn (does what it says on the tin, obviously  ;D) so does that count germination wise?  And, given that corn is block planted for wind pollination and the blocks pretty much pollinate within themselves, do people think that  planting supersweet and not in two different blocks at some distance (how much?) would get round the problem?

[Jeannine]

 Supersweets need isolation from all other corns , ideally 25 feet. OR maturity differces of 15 days.( not easy to find out always)

Popcorn and ornamental corn need isolation from everything ie, Supersweets, Sugar Enhanced, Hybrid Sweets and Open Pollinated.

Hybrid Sweets , Sugar Enhanced and Open Pollinated are Ok together.

They may cross pollinate but it will not effect the taste of the corn, it will effect the seeds though.

Mixing Supersweets with anything will make both starchy.

Mixing Ornamentals or Popcorn  with anything will make both starchy.

XX Jeannine

[ellkebe]

Hmmm - I'm gonna be out there shaking my supersweet corn like crazy come pollination time  :)

[grawrc]

Yep 8 metres is the minimum distance I'd recommend.

[Jeannine]

Oops forgot the baby corn bit.

Baby corn is just immature corn it can be from any of the groups and if left to mature will cross pollinate with the others just the same, however, baby corn is harvested JUST as the silks appear which is before it is pollinated.  Picking it on time OR removing the silks so that it cannot pollinate will prevent problems with yout other corn.

Does this help. XX Jeannine

[knbsallotment]

Wow! THere's an awful lot I never knew about sweet corn!

[ellkebe]

So knb could plant SallyCinnamon's minipop near to the supersweet I'm sending without that actaully being a problem?

[Jeannine]

Yes...if you pick it at the first sign of silk,OR remove the silk.

NO if you leave it to mature.

XX Jeannine

Bear in mind any corn can be grown as baby corn if picked at the immature stage and any  'baby corn will grow large if you let it'

Usually the types sold as baby corn are from a corn that doesn't grow huge ears but it will grow many  times bigger than the corn you know as baby corn if you let it.

[emmy1978]

KNB- sorry only just started checking in the swap shop. I've got about 12 Swift F1 seeds you can have if you want. They've all come up beautifully and looking good. Send me pm with your addy if you want them.  :)