Topic: Sweetcorn (cross pollenation)

[Mr Smith]

I have seen somewhere this year about planting two different varieties of sweetcorn close together could affect the cob its true, some of the cobs have turned out to be very pale in colour and are ot the same size, lesson learnt :)

[PurpleHeather]

It was debated earlier, quite a lively one too, some people did say it was rubbish.

A fellow plot holder gave me a dried cob one year, a variety he had been growing for years which he always carried over.

Since then I have always kept a cob from this same variety (don't ask me what) and each year have had great corn, there are those who say that this is bad practise too!

[thegreatgardener]

some people did say it was rubbish.

Those who claimed it was rubbish could not  find a single scientific study proving there point but those who stated that same season cross pollination is fact. Could cite several sources proving their point. There was also a nasty debate on subject on the bbc garden forum about same subject last year. There again those against where proven wrong.

[keef]

some people did say it was rubbish.

Those who claimed it was rubbish could not  find a single scientific study proving there point but those who stated that same season cross pollination is fact. Could cite several sources proving their point. There was also a nasty debate on subject on the bbc garden forum about same subject last year. There again those against where proven wrong.

Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed this morning ?  :P

Google "sweetcorn cross polination" there loads of references to the problems - some university papers etc.. I'm normally one for arguing that you should'nt take as fact "everything" you read on the net. But in this case the proof seems convininging + added to my own experiences.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

There was also a nasty debate on subject on the bbc garden forum about same subject last year.

I hope you made a full contribution to it  ;D

[asbean]

If I wanted to grow more than one variety of sweetcorn my first inclination would be to do a search of Jeannine's posts on the matter.  Knowledgeable, experienced and a sensible answer at the click of the mouse.

 :) :) :)

[davyw1]

Most of the various types of corn will cross-pollinate readily. To maintain desirable characteristics and high quality, extra-sweet and standard sweet corn should be isolated from each other. A distance of 400 yards or planting so that maturity dates are one month apart is necessary to insure this isolation. Sweet corn plantings must be isolated from field corn and popcorn or ornamental corn as well. White and yellow types will also cross-pollinate, but the results are not as drastic.
You just don,t get a true or full cob

[annppayne]

I can't see how I can prevent cross-pollination of sweetcorn even if I wanted to as all my neighbouring allotmenteers grow various varieties of sweetcorn.   

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think those distances relate to field plantings. I planted Northern Extra Sweet (supersweet) and Kite (non-supersweet) twenty yards or so apart this year. They flowered a couple of weeks apart, with Kite starting as NES finished. I had no problems at all. I wouldn't have wanted to plant them closer though.

[davyw1]

I have to agree Robert i think 400 yards is a bit extreme, 25 to 30 yards would be more realistic.

[realfood]

The seed catalogues claim that the "extra tender and sweet" types do not require the isolation of this type from other types of sweet corn. Apparently, this type will not be affected by other types grown close by.
In a previous year, a "Which" mystery corn badly affected my "extra early sweet" which was adjacent. It was only the closest cobs that were affected.
Some of the kernels of the "extra early sweet" changed colour and became tough.
I would have thought that if the susceptible types of corn are separated by more than 10m, that the concentration of wind blown pollen would be so low as not to cause a problem.