Growing and caring for sweet corn

Table of contents

In a pot and in the ground
When to Sow Sweetcorn
Colorful flasks full of flavor

We are still far from the Americans who statistically eat about 12 kg of corn each year. It is almost a national vegetable on the American continent. However, we are slowly catching up with the European leaders. We are talking about sweetcorn, which we like to add to salads, cook and grill.

Maize was originally grown in what is now Peru and Mexico. In pre-Columbian times, more than 200 different varieties of this vegetable were known.The messages about the richness of colors of ancient forms still amaze today.The Spanish conquerors quickly recognized the nutritional importance of maize and immediately sent the seeds to Europe.Dried grain from the most beautiful, richest cobs was sent to the old continent.

The yields were surprisingly high due to the introduction of a well-recommended mixed cultivation with beans and pumpkin today.The beans climbed the corn stalk like a pole, in return providing the corn with the necessary substances food (bean roots accumulate nitrogen), while the pumpkin laid down on the ground and protected the crops from weeds.

>"&39;The colorful variety of Rainbow Inka maize is not suitable for consumption directly from the cob, but it has undeniable decorative qualities! (Photo: Fotolia.com) &39;loading=lazy</td>
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<p>" The colorful variety of Rainbow Inka maize is not suitable for consumption directly from the cob, but it has undeniable decorative qualities! (Photo: Fotolia.com) "</p>
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<p>Over time, the old varieties of this vegetable were replaced with modern hybrids.<strong>Unfortunately, these forms form a good cobs only in the first generation.This feature is not passed on to the next generation, so the seed material must be bought every year. </strong></p>
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According to official data, no hybrid variety available in Poland is genetically modified. Population varieties (unmodified) are hardly ever encountered anymore, except for 'Złota Dwarf'. Hybrids have the advantage that they give a greater and better yield.

There are three types of sweetcorn: sweet, medium sweet and super sweet.In processing, mainly sweet is used, and super sweet is best for direct consumption.

Corn has white, yellow, multi-colored grains. Growing is relatively simple, similar to fodder maize.The principle of separation of crops is of fundamental importance, so that there is no cross-pollination between sweet corn and fodder corn, as well as sweet corn and super sweet corn, because it significantly reduces the value of the seeds. It is assumed that a distance of about 500 m is safe.

In a pot and in the ground

Sweet corn likes warmth, so it may happen that in slightly cooler parts of the country late varieties will yield less.

If weather conditions are favorable, sowing can be staggered. Then we sow maize every two weeks, from April to the end of May.Thanks to this stock planning, we will be able to collect from August
until October.The first batch of plants is sown in pots and grown at home for some time. We sow into the ground from mid-May, then we can also plant domestic seedlings.

Pollination is more successful if plants are grown in blocks of several rows rather than in single rows.

When to Sow Sweetcorn

Sugar corn is sown in May. A vegetable requires warm, well-drained humus soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5. The temperature requirements of plants increase with the sweetness class.The basic care treatments during the growing season are weeding and irrigation (in case of drought). Among the early varieties it is worth mentioning 'Złota Dwarf' with sweet golden seeds ripening in August.

Early maize varieties yield in August, late from September. Pick the cobs when the stigmas (i.e. the characteristic threads) begin to turn brown, but the seeds are still light, soft and juicy.The flasks stored in a cool, in leafy jackets, remain usable for longer.With time, as the sugars turn into starch, the seeds become mealy.

The flasks for ornamental purposes and for seeds should be removed later and dried with the leaves turned out in a warm, airy place. Popcorn, more commonly known as popcorn, is also suitable for garden cultivation. Why do the grains shoot?Because they contain microscopic water particles which, when roasted, turn into steam that breaks the hard skin.