Sweet corn "isolation required"

[Larry Caldwell]

How much does cross pollination matter if you're not raising seed? I've always staggered my plantings anyways, as I can only eat so much corn.

4000 seeds is a LOT of corn! 300 dozen ears even if you only get one per stalk. Do you sell, give it away, or freeze the surplus?

Cross pollination is irrelevant if you are not raising seed. The plant will produce true to its genetics, and pollen has no effect. Things are much different for second generation. Many garden plants are promiscuous cross-pollinators. Broccoli, turnips, kale, cauliflower, canola, etc. are all bred from mustard, and will cheerfully breed with each other. Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons will have sex with each other and the next generation seeds can be pretty interesting. Corn (maize) is a notorious vegetable ****, since the tassels distribute pollen on the breezes. If you want to save corn seed, half a mile of isolation will probably work, unless it's windy where you live.

 

[Jstpssng]

Sweet corn will cross pollinate with "field" type corn;I found out the hard way.Stagger your plantings dates.Makes for poor sweet corn if it crosses.

That must be why I've never had a problem, my plantings are about 2 weeks apart, and/or I'm planting early and late corn.
I also have no reason to plant field corn, and there are no real farms nearby.

Cross pollination is irrelevant if you are not raising seed. The plant will produce true to its genetics, and pollen has no effect. Things are much different for second generation. Many garden plants are promiscuous cross-pollinators. Broccoli, turnips, kale, cauliflower, canola, etc. are all bred from mustard, and will cheerfully breed with each other. Squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons will have sex with each other and the next generation seeds can be pretty interesting. Corn (maize) is a notorious vegetable ****, since the tassels distribute pollen on the breezes. If you want to save corn seed, half a mile of isolation will probably work, unless it's windy where you live.

That's what I thought. It's a lot easier for me to just buy seed every couple of years, rather than try to save it.

 

[CMV]

OK...but am getting confused.....I've read "supersweet", "field", "seed",etc.

So for this year's crop - what I want to pick and eat/donate....if I have 4 different varieties of "sweet corn" growing in close proximity.....will the corn be just fine? I don't care if the seeds are no good for next year....just will what I pick this year be what the plant would normally produce if "isolated"? Or am I going to get some nasty inedible trash corn because different hybrids of sweet corn cross-pollinated?

While I'm asking dumb questions........



Germination 6-12 days, maturation 74 days.... does that 74 days include the germination time or in addition? Should I expect to be picking corn 74 days from the time the seed goes in the ground or 74 days from when it sprouts? I know that "74 days" isn't exact either - weather, soil, etc are variables. But plan would be to have some variation in the different types so they shouldn't be all ready to pick at once. Staggering planting times a better way & will do some of that too, but different varieties range from 70-94 days maturation. Would I include the the additional ~9 days germination time to have an appx time to harvest from when I plant?

I know from how my pumpkins were ready way early last year that I need to put them in the ground early July this year so kind of backwards planning from that to have corn done prior to that & enough break in between to add some organic matter, kill bugs, or process corn.

 

[Jstpssng]

Germination time depends on soil temperature more than anything except perhaps moisture. Putting down black plastic either before or after planting can help if you want to plant a little earlier. That's another reason why I start my corn inside, but I only grow a couple of 20 foot rows per planting. (I also share it with my pigs, turkeys, chickens... the only one who doesn't get any is my dog.)
Maturation date is rather fuzzy, but on corn is roughly from the time that you plant it. If you're planting it by hand you also can get a head start by presoaking the seed for 24 hours in wet paper towels. I also have put the seeds in furrows, then soaked it down good before covering them up.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Germination time depends on soil temperature more than anything except perhaps moisture. Putting down black plastic either before or after planting can help if you want to plant a little earlier. That's another reason why I start my corn inside, but I only grow a couple of 20 foot rows per planting. (I also share it with my pigs, turkeys, chickens... the only one who doesn't get any is my dog.)
Maturation date is rather fuzzy, but on corn is roughly from the time that you plant it. If you're planting it by hand you also can get a head start by presoaking the seed for 24 hours in wet paper towels. I also have put the seeds in furrows, then soaked it down good before covering them up.

If you want heat, use clear plastic. Black plastic acts as a black body radiator and actually refrigerates the ground at night.

 

[Streetcar]

Super sweet corn can only be pollinated by other super sweet corn. Regular sweet corn is not a problem with cross pollination

 

[ArlyA]

If anyone in our neck of the woods, has any of that bad cross pollinated corn, just send it our way and we'll test it. :stirthepot:

 

[oosik]

When we had corn it was never isolated. We had a "corn patch" about 40' x 80'. Always planted three types of sweet corn. Three different germination/picking dates. That way we had corn for a longer time.

It never seemed to make any difference. Each variety was easily identifiable and remained true to its type.

One year we planted a new, ultra productive corn type. About a week before picking the blackbirds came in and ate it all.

 

[boomer1025]

corn varieties should be isolated so that what you harvest is true to the seed you planted. isolation can also mean by pollination time rather then by distance.

:thumbsup: I agree
Corn – preventing cross-pollination | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener
Can Two Different Types of Sweet Corn Cross Pollinate? | Home Guides | SF Gate

 

[fried1765]

When we had corn it was never isolated. We had a "corn patch" about 40' x 80'. Always planted three types of sweet corn. Three different germination/picking dates. That way we had corn for a longer time.

It never seemed to make any difference. Each variety was easily identifiable and remained true to its type.

One year we planted a new, ultra productive corn type. About a week before picking the blackbirds came in and ate it all.

Raccoons are notorious sweet corn destroyers.
They will wait until the day before you plan to pick it.
Ask me how I know?
MANY times !!!