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Cornology™ - Urban Farmer's Guide

Home > Gardener's Guide > Cornology

By selecting the right varieties of corn, you can have sweet corn maturing all summer long. You don't need a 5 acre field to grow it. Four to five short rows are all you to feed a family. Sweet corn kernels are actually seeds. Most types of corn come with white, yellow, or bicolor (yellow and white mixed) kernels. Some heirloom varieties produce red and blue kernels which are mostly used for corn flour and roasting. The color of the corn you choose depends on what flavor you like and where you live. Most varieties mature in 65 to 100 days, so choose a sampling that mature over time in your garden. There are four main classifications of sweet corn: open-pollinated (OP), normal (standard) sugary (su), sugar enhanced (se) and super sweets (sh2). Many companies assign different names within the same categories, but they all use the designated abbreviations consistently.

Open Pollinated: Also referred to as normal or non-hybrid corns, these corn varieties are the heirloom varieties that were popular during the first half of the 20th century. Saving seeds from open pollinated corn will give you offspring similar to the parent plant providing that the corn is kept at least 100 feet away from other varieties during pollination. These varieties tend to be less sweet then the modern varieties. Their sugars turn to starch within hours after harvesting, so they need to be cooked immediately after harvesting to preserve their flavor. A great 'OP' yellow corn is the 'Extra Early Golden Bantam' which matures in 75 days and has a rich corn flavor.

Normal Sugary: These corns are mildly sweet and are known to be more tolerant of cool weather. First popular in the 1970s and 80s, normal sugary varieties also convert their sugars into starch within a few hours of harvesting and should be cooked as soon as possible after picking. These corns are sometimes referred to as normal sugary hybrids, standard hybrids and regular sweet hybrids. Developed in the 1960s, 'Silver Queen' is a variety that remains popular today. Silver Queen takes 92 days to mature, has dark green flag leaves, attractive ears and is a standard, high quality white corn.

Sugar Enhanced: Sometimes referred to as sugary enhance hybrids, these corns are a step up in sweetness from the normal sugary varieties. Known for their tender kernels and sweet flavor, SE varieties are a good choice for the backyard gardener or someone growing corn for the first time. These hybrids offer gardeners a greater window for harvesting before losing their sweet flavor and don't need to be kept isolated from other varieties. Try 'Peaches and Cream' a white corn that takes 83 days to harvest, very tasty and has good ear protection.

Super Sweets: The dry seeds of super sweets are wrinkled and shrived (hence the sh) because they contain very little starch. This gives them the sweetest flavor of all corn varieties and allows them to maintain their flavor for up to 10 days after being harvested. Super Sweets varieties are best suited for the more experienced gardener. They need to be kept isolated (as least 50 feet) or risk turning tough and starchy from cross-pollination, and their seeds are prone to rotting in wet soil. Try 'Supersweet Jubilee' which takes 83 days to mature and has a great sweet flavor.

Still don't get it? Check out our "Sweet Corn Genotypes" table we created.