Content
Sweet corn has long been a popular cereal crop and is cultivated by humans for both fodder and table purposes. And this is not surprising, since corn is famous for its gastronomic qualities, as well as its high nutritional value, providing a person with a third of the necessary micronutrients. In addition, it is not difficult to grow sweet corn: by planting seeds on a plot of land in spring, every gardener will be able to feast on unusually tasty cobs in the middle of summer.
The difference between sweet corn and ordinary
Not everyone can distinguish sweet corn from ordinary corn, because obvious differences are invisible to the untrained eye. However, there are still distinctive features:
- ordinary corn has darker and larger seeds;
- an ear of sweet corn is often barrel-shaped with a blunt end;
- in sugar varieties, even in the raw form of grain with a pronounced sweet taste: it is the increased sugar content that is the main difference between sugar varieties and fodder varieties;
- sweet corn kernels are much softer than regular corn.
Unlike conventional sweet corn, sweet corn must be harvested as soon as it reaches milk maturity.
The best varieties of sweet corn
Breeders managed to get more than 500 types of crops, the best varieties of sweet corn are considered below.
Dobrynya
The variety belongs to the early maturing and remains popular among gardeners, due to the friendly and fast germination of seeds, as well as unpretentious care, resistance to fungal infections. Seeds can be sown in the soil as soon as the temperature at night does not drop below +10 ° C. The plant reaches a height of 1.7 m, the length of the ears is about 25 cm. The taste of the grains is very delicate, milky and sweet. After 2 - 2.5 months after sowing, the crop is ready for harvest. Dobrynya corn is suitable for both boiling and canning.
Spirit
An early ripe, fruitful variety, growing in height by 1.9 - 2 m and having an ear length of 19 - 22 cm, weighing approximately 200 - 350 g. The grains have a rather high sugar concentration in the composition - more than 12%. Seedlings are planted in open ground in May, and after 65 days the heads of cabbage reach full maturity. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests. And thanks to its good adaptation to any conditions and a consistently high yield, the cultivation of sweet corn Spirit is suitable for the main business.
Ice nectar
This variety belongs to the late-ripening ones: at least 130 days must pass from the moment of sowing until the ear is fully ripe. In height, the stems of the plant stretch up to 1.8 m, the length of the cobs is 25 cm, they contain juicy, large grains. Ice nectar is distinguished by its characteristic white grain color and the highest sugar content of any sweet corn. Therefore, the hybrid belongs to dessert, and people with diabetes should use it with caution.
Gourmet 121
It is also a dessert, high-yielding early-maturing variety. The plant does not differ in high growth, stretching upwards by only 1.45 m. The cobs grow 20 - 21 cm long, they have large soft yellow grains with thin skin.The variety is thermophilic, therefore it is recommended to grow it through seedlings, and not by sowing seeds in open ground. The ripeness of the ears begins on the 67th - 70th day after planting the seeds.
The earliest varieties of sugar corn (for example, Dobrynya, Lakomka 121) are suitable for growing in harsh climatic conditions, since before the onset of cold weather, you can have time to harvest. Late-ripening varieties (for example, Ice Nectar) are grown in milder conditions, and although they take longer to ripen, they have higher yields.
Sweet corn cultivation technology
Sweet corn is considered an unpretentious crop, but it still has its own characteristics of cultivation. This tall plant prefers sunny places, with a lack of light, it cannot form cobs. In the southern regions of the country, grain begins to be sown from the beginning of May, in the northern - closer to the end of the month.
Scheme of planting sweet corn in open ground:
- Site selection and soil preparation. The site should be sunny, protected from wind and draft. Lean soils should be well enriched and aerated (dug to the depth of a shovel bayonet). For enrichment, peat, sand, as well as humus or compost are introduced into clay soil (one bucket for each square meter). Sandy soils are enriched with organic matter (7 kg per square meter) and sod soil (3 buckets per square meter).
- Grain preparation. Only whole, large seeds are suitable for planting, without any visible defects. To protect future sprouts from fungal infection, grains are recommended to be pickled. To do this, they are soaked in a manganese solution for 10 minutes.
- Sowing. In the soil, grooves are made with a depth of 5 - 7 cm, at a distance from each other of at least 40 cm (but not more than 75 cm). Seeds are placed in these furrows every 15 cm, after which they are carefully sprinkled with a layer of soil, watered and mulched.
Growing several varieties of sweet corn in the field at the same time obeys this rule: varieties of ordinary sweetness should be planted at a considerable distance from dessert ones (at least 400 meters). Another method is to sow corn with approximately one flowering time, two weeks apart. This is done in order to exclude the possibility of cross-pollination, as a result of which the starch content in the grains increases, and their taste is greatly affected.
Sweet corn care
After all the seedlings have risen, the soil between the rows must be regularly loosened and weed out. This is done after watering, at least 3-4 times per season, while hilling each plant. These procedures are necessary to improve soil aeration.
Watering sweet corn should be done regularly, especially abundantly in the eight-leaf phase, during panicle-setting and during milky ripeness. If the plant lacks moisture, it will stop growing. Watering is carried out 2 - 3 times a week, at the rate of three liters per plant.
For the entire season, sweet corn is fed 2 times. The first time - with organic fertilizer (solution of bird droppings or infusion of mullein), after the formation of the first knot on the plant. The second time - with mineral fertilizer, during flowering and laying ears.
In addition, the culture actively forms lateral shoots (stepchildren), which must be cut off without fail, leaving two or three main ones. If this is not done, the cobs will form weak and empty, as the plant will waste its energy on supporting the lateral shoots.
Conclusion
Sweet corn requires some attention, and if you do not water and feed the plants on time, you will not be able to grow a good harvest. However, one should not forget that cross-pollination of forage and table varieties is unacceptable. Strict adherence to agricultural techniques for growing sweet corn will allow you to get a rich harvest without much effort and cost.
