nickolas
Senior Member
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:04 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

How do you prevent corn cross pollination?

I want to stop cross pollination between Corn varietys but I read that to do this you need to grow the different varietys of corn at least 700ft apart.

Does anyone know if I could stop cross pollination by sowing the two Corn varietys a few weeks apart?

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Yes, they need to be separated in space or time. Starting one variety a couple weeks later should be enough.

Another thing I read that helps is to plant a row of sunflowers between the sections of corn. Since the sunflowers are also tall, they work as a barrier.

User avatar
RogueRose
Green Thumb
Posts: 563
Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 4:28 pm
Location: Buffalo, NY

I don't have the space to do the 700ft a part thing. So I do the time thing. I have mine separated by 3-4 weeks.

fishman1113
Full Member
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:20 am
Location: Lancaster PA

Separate the planting times by two to three weeks. They will mature at different times so you will have less chance of cross pollination.

nickolas
Senior Member
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:04 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

thanks :D, I will grow my two different corn varieties (true gold and golden bantam) next to eachother and a few weeks apart to prevent cross pollenation this next season.

Smallgardener
Senior Member
Posts: 172
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 1:18 pm
Location: SW Kansas

Are they Hybrids or Varieties. If they are Hybrids I don't see the point of keeping them from cross pollinating. Unless you are trying to keep the collor of the ears the same. I don't know enough about these two corns. Are they white vs yellow? Looking at the names makes me think they are both yellow's.

User avatar
gixxerific
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5889
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B

IF you are using time to seperate them. Make sure you factor in the DTM one may be earlier than the other.

Good luck

nickolas
Senior Member
Posts: 161
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2011 7:04 am
Location: Victoria, Australia

They are not Hybrids, they are both Traditional open pollinated Heirloom corn Varieties which are getting harder to find as sweeter low starch hybrids become more popular.

harvest time for True gold in 12 weeks and Golden bantam is 14 weeks.



Return to “Vegetable Gardening Forum”