Sweet Corn

Just after the first ripe tomato of the season, there is nothing to excite the home gardener more than having the first ripe ear of corn! Sweet corn has come a long way since I owned “R.H. Shumway Seedsman” in the 1980s and 1990s. Then the latest and sweetest corns were the “Super Sweet (sh2) Hybrids”, the familiar shrunken-kernel varieties that revolutionized the sweet-corn industry, although requiring isolation from other sweet corns. Although “Super Sweets” were the sweetest, back then the “Normal (su) Types” like “Silver Queen” and the “Sugary Enhanced (se) Types” like “Kandy Korn” were at the zenith of their popularity.

Today, though, with the advent of the “Synergistic (syn) Types”, sweet-corn sweetness and flavor have reached another level. The Synergistic’s ear consists of 75% se kernels and 25% sh2 kernels (like “Illini Xtra-Sweet”) to offer the remarkable tenderness and flavor of the se types, but with the added sweetness, longer shelf life and field-holding ability of the Super Sweets (sh2).

This year we are proud to introduce, exclusively, the first “Synergistic Enhanced (syn+)” variety. Called “Primus”, with 40% Super Sweet kernels and 60% sugary enhanced kernels, this higher level of Super Sweet kernels offers an extra pop of sweetness not enjoyed by any other Synergistic, giving “Primus” the highest sugar content of any sweet corn today. For awesome corn flavor combined with superior eating quality and the highest sugar content ever, try new “Primus”!

Culture & Seed Count

Corn will not germinate with a soil temperature below 65°F! Sow seed in a sunny location after all danger of frost when soil is over 65°F. Sow about 1-in. deep and 5-in. apart in rows 30-36 in. apart. Thin to one plant every 10 to 12 in. when plants are 4-in. tall. Plant in blocks of at least 4 rows for proper pollination. Extend the season by successively sowing or by growing varieties of differing maturities. Packets contain at least 125 seeds (100 seeds for Super Sweets and Synergistics) unless noted otherwise and plant 40 to 60 ft. of row.

Learn more about the types of sweet corn here.