Seed Good sweet corn for northern gardens and cool soil

[Cyclonemom]

Sweet corn in WI is a struggle. I am surrounded by corn fields, so isolation, unless I get lucky with different pollination times, is hard.

The biggest struggle though, is just getting it to germinate! The soil temp in the 2 patches I have set aside for sweet corn (not raised beds for sweet corn, one is a classic garden area, the other is a bastard version of a sheet compost/back to eden) never gets to 60+ degrees most years until mid June, some years early July!

Anyone have any recommendations for the best sweet corn variety for short season (65 days, preferably less) AND good cool soil germination?

 

[naturallysweet]

Did you know you can transplant corn? This would solve the germination problem and allow a slightly longer season corn.

 

[packyderms_wife]

We grow something here called Candy Corn it's a yellow and white variety that is super sweet and grows in a short season.

 

[Illini Warrior]

sold by different seed companies - Painted Mountain seed corn - developed for the Montana seasons - supposedly good stuff ....

https://www.rareseeds.com/painted-mountain-corn/

 

[LC]

Might also check the offerings at a Johnny's Selected Seeds and Adaptive Seeds

 

[AlaskaSue]

I've had pretty good success here in my growing zone 3a using Denali Seed's Yukon Chief https://bestcoolseeds.com/search/node/corn ; their site has some corn-growing tips that might help too.

I do add manure at the end of the season and mulch. In spring when I can get to the soil, but before it's done thawing, I cover with ground cover/weed barrier to speed up the warming. I plant with full southern exposure and while not really growing a whole lot of it, I do have the advantage of being the only corn grower in the area, lol!

The key for my short season is that I do grow seedlings in my greenhouse, then transplant when it stays above 50 overnight.

 

[summerthyme]

Painted Mountain is a colored Indian corn... not something I'd eat by choice even at it's very earliest stage. You may have to transplant to get eating corn, though.

I'll second Johnny's seeds for varieties and good information on them.

Summerthyme

 

[Wolfcreek Farm]

Corn plants?

Did you know you can transplant corn? This would solve the germination problem and allow a slightly longer season corn.

We have been doing this for years.......best if pants are in the 6-8" range.....we use plant cell packs ( 72 to a traditional flat which is about 11 x 21") ...build a mini-greenhouse or cold frame to get them started...this even gives you a jump on the weeds when planted in the field.......we work with different open pollinated varieties..and if you plan it right..you can grow different day length varieties in the same area without getting cross pollination.