Need corn seed suggestions pls
I had a really good time and a lot of success with my first big garden last year. But unfortunately my corn didn't have much taste at all. I think it may have been the seeds I used, which were the generic sweet corn seeds you can pickup at any grocery or garden supply store. If anyone could suggest a better type of seed for me to try this year, or even better a seed bank, it would be much appreciated.
Where do you live. Where I live maize mozaic virus is a big problem and I have to use resistant seeds. I actually do best with tropical corn seeds from the UH.
There are different kinds of corn. The supersweet varieties are the sweetest, but generally not good keepers. They are the kind that you have the water boiling before you pick them and cook them immediately. All corn really should not be picked and stored for long. The longer corn is stored, the more sugar turns to starch. Make sure you pick the corn at its' peak. Around 10 days after the tassels appear, the corn ears should be full and plump and the juice should be runny not starchy.
I prefer a tight husk corn because I do not spray and tight husk corn will resist the corn borers. It does not stop them but they don't usually get too far.
I like the regular sweet white corn Silver queen. It needs to be picked and cooked immediately. It is sweet, the kernels are small and tender. Silver King is better, but Silver Queen is the standard for white corn and seeds are easy to find.
How Sweet it is, Early Sunglow, Honey and Pearl, Mirai, Illini Xtrasweet (grows well in Hawaii), and Ambrosia.
Some of the corn are bicolor.
There are different kinds of corn. The supersweet varieties are the sweetest, but generally not good keepers. They are the kind that you have the water boiling before you pick them and cook them immediately. All corn really should not be picked and stored for long. The longer corn is stored, the more sugar turns to starch. Make sure you pick the corn at its' peak. Around 10 days after the tassels appear, the corn ears should be full and plump and the juice should be runny not starchy.
I prefer a tight husk corn because I do not spray and tight husk corn will resist the corn borers. It does not stop them but they don't usually get too far.
I like the regular sweet white corn Silver queen. It needs to be picked and cooked immediately. It is sweet, the kernels are small and tender. Silver King is better, but Silver Queen is the standard for white corn and seeds are easy to find.
How Sweet it is, Early Sunglow, Honey and Pearl, Mirai, Illini Xtrasweet (grows well in Hawaii), and Ambrosia.
Some of the corn are bicolor.
Actually all of the corn I suggested are from North America except Mirai which is from Japan. IlliniXtrasweet is from Illinois. In Connecticut you may need to go with the shorter maturity varieties. Silver Queen is 80 days. Early sunglow is 62 days and better for northern climates.
Ditto that corn are heavy feeders.
To grow anything successfully, good soil prep is a must. Add at least 4 inches of compost, 1/4 inch of composted manure (not fresh), and work it into the top 8 inches of soil.
You will need to use a starter fertilizer and give additional nitrogen in a couple of side dressings. A soil test is the best way to go for that. On the plus side, corn roots will go deep and help break up the soil and tilling in the remains will return much of the nutrients. Mammoth sunflowers will also help to pry open the soil.
Ditto that corn are heavy feeders.
To grow anything successfully, good soil prep is a must. Add at least 4 inches of compost, 1/4 inch of composted manure (not fresh), and work it into the top 8 inches of soil.
You will need to use a starter fertilizer and give additional nitrogen in a couple of side dressings. A soil test is the best way to go for that. On the plus side, corn roots will go deep and help break up the soil and tilling in the remains will return much of the nutrients. Mammoth sunflowers will also help to pry open the soil.