The Sweet Corn is Ripe! Start the Water Boiling.
 (Read 100+ times)
By Agnes Farside
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Sweet corn, a warm-weather vegetable, is a favorite with gardeners who appreciate the fresh, sweet taste from newly harvested ears from the garden. I remember my childhood years of helping my father pick sweet corn from the garden, and having it for dinner, smothered in butter, that same night. I always wondered what made it so sweet.
Type of Sweet Corn
There are three genetic types of sweet corn, normal sugary (SU), sugary enhancer (SE), and supersweet (Sh2). The different type of sugar genes in sweet corn is what gives sweet corn its creamy texture and sweetness and sets it apart from field corn. Because the sugar in sweet corn converts to starch as soon as the ear is picked, it is best to pick and shuck SU type sweet corn right before cooking. SE and Sh2 sweet corn can be kept for a short time in the refrigerator because it retains its sweetness for a longer period. Most gardeners prefer SE as it contains the qualities of both SU and Sh2.
Sh2 hybrids can hold their sweetness for two to three days before converting to starch. This makes it an excellent choice for farmers who ship their sweet corn over long distances. Because supersweet corn needs warm soil for adequate germination, it is the preferred variety by gardeners in the southern states. These same farmers need to ensure cross-pollination does not occur with other types of corn, so Sh2 corn should be planted in isolated areas.
Planting
As stated above sweet corn requires a worm soil to germinate, so a ground temperature above 55 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended. Sweet corn can be planted to produce all summer long. Plant an early crop after all danger of frost has passed. When this sprouts with two or three leaves, plant a second variety, and when this sprouts, you can plant a third. Sweet corn can be planted as late as July 4.
If the soil is cool and moist, plant one-half inch deep and one to one and one-half inches deep in warmer, dry soil. The kernels should be spaced 10 to 12 inches apart in rows two and one-half to three feet apart. If you are planting a variety of SU, SE, and Sh2 sweet corn, plant them at different stages to prevent cross-pollination.
Easy Care
It is recommended to remove weeds by hand or a cultivator, avoiding chemicals altogether. If you encounter periods of drought, water appropriately in order to avoid small ears or missing kernels. Apply fertilizer when plants are one to one and one-half feet tall.
Harvest Time
With prime growing conditions, each stalk should produce one good ear of sweet corn; sometimes a second smaller one may develop. The best way I have found to test if sweet corn is ready for picking is the thumbnail test. If juice or milk squirts out of a plump kernel when you stick your thumbnail in it, the corn is ready to pick. This is usually about 20 days after silk strands have first appeared. Another sign to watch for is the silk drying and turning brown. Sweet corn only remains in the milk stage for about one week, so close observation is necessary in order to pick the corn during its peek time.
Snap off the ears using a firm, downward motion, twisting and pulling as you go. Remove the husks and cook, freeze, or can immediately. The stalks can be removed and discarded or shredded and added to compost piles, after you have used them in your fall outside decorations.
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Author Bio Box: Agnes Farside
 http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/110407/agnes_farside.html
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