As you know its spring, so we are just about to plant some corn. Last years corn grew really well, but it wasn't sweet at all. Is that because we didn't compost enough? Or did we water to much. Was it the pesticide we used (even thought it was organic, we've sworn off pesticide for good. Just use good old toads, spiders and over planting) But what ever info you have will be really helpful.
I think that sweetness in corn is mostly related to variety, though growing season can have some effect I'm sure. IMO there is not much chance that anything you did had any effect on the sweetness. This year perhaps try two or three varieties and maybe include some of those double or tripple sweet varieties for extra sweet corn.
Lazieninjafrog. You don't give your location, so we don't know where you trying to grow this. However, I can tell you this from experience. We tried growing corn here in TN for years, tried several varieties, watering methods, etc. and always ended up with the same result...corn tasted like $h!t.
Now, my wife is from Iowa and we go up there every year at harvest and bring back as much corn as we can tote.
Why you ask? Becasue the sweet corn in Iowa is simply the best tasting stuff you will ever eat. Hands down.
Now, after much discussion, and taste testing, I've come to this conclusion...it's the soil! I don't know the exact makeup of it, but the Iowa soil is very rich and dark and just produces a much better tasting ear of corn.
I know that doesn't help much, but maybe it will give you a direction.
I live on one of the most sandy, dryest hills in central S.C. but if the corn gets plenty of water and a little fertilizer, it is always sweet and tasty and better than any that I've ever had anywhere else. On the other hand, I've tried every kind of carrot available and they always have what to me is a chemical taste and no sweetness at all. What is it about California that makes such sweet carrots? Michigan carrots taste o.k., but no sweetness at all. Sweet corn, not sweet corn. Sweet carrots, not sweet carrots. Quite a mystery to me!
Yeah, I gotta say our sweet corn is wonderful. We grow silver queen and it got 12'tall last year. We're still eating it out of the freezer. Only thing better is our fresh fried okra.
I just asked because if you try the silver queen and it still tastes bad then it's your soil like venomous said. Like Alex, our soil is sandy but we have discovered some things grow much better than others. Our carrots are terrible and we haven't hit the right brew for bell peppers. I've given up on carrots but I'm not ready to give up on the peppers. Good luck.
Genetics of the plant more or less determine the sugar levels in the kernal. Su (lowest sugar genome), Se (second lowest), Synergistic / TripleSweet (Se x Sh2), Super Sweet (Sh2) - getting some sugar now..., Modified Super Sweet (auSh2) - like candy... and Super Lites...
With an Su or Se variety of sweet corn your harvest window is rather short... The sugar is quickly metabolized into starch and sweetness fades.. you generally have a week or so window to harvest and eat...
The triple, super sweet and superlites have significantly higher sugar levels and due to genetics (lack of the Su gene) they do not convert sugars to starches nearly as fast. They will hold in the field and in the fridge / market for a good 2 weeks.
The one downside of the Sh2 (Shrunken 2) gene is that the pericarp (sheath of the kernel) is crunchy and tough. The augmented super sweets reduce that and you end up with the sweetness of the super sweet and the tenderness of the Se.
Also be aware of cross pollination if you are growing next to field or white food grade corn.
Therefore... Genetic type as well as harvest window more or less effect the percieved "sweetness" of the ear of corn.
I c ^_^ We'll try feterlizing the soil with more food. But I don't know if we can get another type of corn at the moment. XP We'll just have to see. Thanks you guys! ^_^
rootsy wrote:
...your harvest window is rather short... The sugar is quickly metabolized into starch and sweetness fades.. you generally have a week or so window to harvest and eat...
This is my understanding also.
I've also read that you can target your harvest fairly precisely by pricking a kernel and observing the fluid. If it's clear, it's too early. As it turns milky, harvest.
on average... 21 days from the time silk appears until it is ready to pull and eat or sell... You will feel the husk become tight and you can feel as the tip fills out and becomes blunt. When the tip is filled you know it's ready more or less... The silk will also be brown... If you pull back the husk to look at the tip you will more than likely get some insect infiltration and or damage to the ear.
There is a trick to growing good corn. Something you need to know about corn, when you pick it the enzymes in the corn will turn the sweet to starch in about 30 minutes so have a pot of water boiling before you pick the corn. Don't pick the corn too late it won't be sweet anymore. When the silks start to turn brown and dry out a little pick it then and get it in the boiling water within a few minutes.
The type of corn you plant may have something to do with how sweet it is. I plans Silver Queen corn every year.
I live in Murfreesboro TN I have good corn every year. I use to live in Illinois corn grows better up there because it is not so hot.
Corn does not do well in a small patch. I have a small garden so my corn patch is about 6ft by 15 ft. I plant my corn is rows very close together. Seeds are 4" apart in each row and the rows are 12" apart. This little tiny patch of corn will produce 300 ears of corn.
Corn loves nitrogen so give it some fertilizer. Don't buy Ammonium Nitrate from Wal Mart or K Mart that stuff is worthless. Go to a farm supply store and get real Ammonium Nitrate or Urea. Save a can from you kitchen any can will do, an empty bean or spinish can works great for a fertilizer measure. Put 1 can of Ammonium Nitrate or 1/2 can of Urea in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Use it to water the corn twice a week after the corn is 4 ft tall.
Is that because we didn't compost enough? Or did we water to much. Was it the pesticide we used (even thought it was organic, we've sworn off pesticide for good. Just use good old toads, spiders and over planting) But what ever info you have will be really helpful. 
