Corn

This page is an open source resource guide for corn. It is for growing and maintaining the most bio-diverse, delicious, and broadly applicable corn selection possible. It contains cultural considerations, planting guidelines, descriptions, and the best places we’ve found for purchasing the species we’ve listed. As part of the One Community Highest Good food component of global transformation, this page will continue to evolve indefinitely to contain maintenance and care tips, accessioning and plant breeding and sharing information as part of the One Community open source botanical garden model, and even recipe’s, preparations, and preservation methods used on the property.

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Click these links to be taken directly to the relevant sections on this page:

• Corn Overview
• Cultural Considerations
• Planting Guidelines
• Specific Varieties
• Plant Material/Seed Providers
• Other Corn Resources
• Corn as Part of the Botanical Garden Model
• Corn Preparation, Preservation, and Recipes
• Links to Other Edible Plant Pages

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CORN

(Click here for corn purchase details)

Corn (Zea mays)

Corn is eaten fresh as a vegetable, or can be dried and ground to flour. Fresh corn is also pickled, canned, and frozen. Separate types exist for fresh eating, flour, and fodder. An important source of lysine, an amino acid that helps form complete proteins, corn is one of the most nutritionally dense food crops and was the staple of New World diets. Corn stalks generate large amounts of organic matter that can be reincorporated into the soil.

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Although roots are shallow, corn is very water efficient
• Corn is wind pollinated; plant in blocks rather than rows
• Corn is a heavy feeder; fertilize during the growing season
• For seed saving, different varieties should be 1/4 mile apart
• Corn should be rotated to different locations to avoid pest buildup
• Corn can be grown with a living mulch of Corn or peas to provide nitrogen

PLANTING GUIDELINES

Corn is usually direct seeded, although for small garden plots transplants are sometimes used. If direct seeded, plants may require thinning, since overcrowding will greatly affect yields. Depending on soil fertility plants should be 12-18 inches apart.

VIDEO COMING: Planting tutorial followed by time lapse growth videos

SEE OUR HOW TO HELP AND/OR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN PAGE IF YOU’D LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND/OR SUPPORT ONE COMMUNITY’S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Wikipedia – Corn

GCo#1 :: Mesquakie Indian Corn Mesquakie Indian corn takes about 110 days to produce huge ears of beautiful yellow-maroon variations of dent corn. Dent corn is higher starch corn (used in food manufacturing as the base ingredient for cornmeal flour, corn chips, tortillas, taco shells, etc.) characterized by a dent in the top of each kernel. Mesquakie Indian corn has an impressive root system, sturdy stalks, and potential for breeding to prevent lodging (failing to withstand environmental challenges and falling to the ground prematurely). GCo#2 :: Anasazi Corn Anasazi corn produces 6-8 inch cobs with 12-20 rows of sweet corn from 6-9 feet stalks in about 90 days. The kernels are large and the cobs are wide with a variable mix of yellow, red, purple, and black color shades. This corn is a very flavorful and ancient corn reportedly found by archeologists in the Anasazi ruins. Because this corn has historically done well with early planting and emerged from ground moisture only, growers have reported delaying the start of irrigation for as much as 2 weeks. GCo#3 :: Cherokee Ginitsi Selu White Corn Cherokee Ginitsi Selu White is a flour type of corn producing white, moonbeam yellow, and white with deep pink-rose blush kernels. The white cobs have 8-10 rows and are one of the ancient corns of the Cherokee, having been “harvested by the Eastern Cherokee for at least 1000 years.” The plant itself is a strong and vigorous grower that can reach heights 10-12’ with 1-2 ears per plant, 0-4 tillers (extra corn shoots) which also produce ears, and some smut (a problem for some and referred to as “maize mushroom” and a delicacy in Mexico). Cherokee Ginitsi Selu White has good brace roots and unique texture and taste characteristics when made into flour. GCo#4 :: Hickory Cane Corn Hickory Cane is an open pollinated, dent corn which was originally used as fodder. Producing in 100 days, this variety grows 8 inches long with 8 rows of large kernels; the stalks are 12 feet tall with mostly 2 ears each. Hickory Cane is enjoyed fresh as a sweet corn, cooked as creamed corn, grits, or hominy, and can also be ground for white corn meal. GCo#5 :: Boone County White Corn Boone County White is a dent corn, producing good yields of 8-9 inch ears of corn in about 130 days. It responds especially well in high fertile soils and will grow very tall and strong stalks that hold up well to strong winds. This corn is particularly good when ground for meal. GCo#6 :: Mandan Bride Corn Mandan Bride Flint corn is a productive, short season corn that matures well in the Pacific Northwest. The kernels of this corn come in a multitude of colors, making this a great ornamental corn during the holidays. Mandan Bride Flint also is great in posole and tortillas. GCo#7 :: Bloody Butcher Corn Bloody Butcher is an heirloom corn from 1845. Ear color varies from light red with darker stripes, to pure dark red, and even the occasional white ear.  This corn is great for fresh eating when young and ground into flour or cornmeal when mature. GCo#8 :: New Mama Super Sweet Corn New Mama Super Sweet is one of the only open pollinated super sweet (Sh2 gene) corns. The medium-sized ears have yellow to pale yellow, truly super sweet kernels that hold their flavor once picked. This corn was selected from crosses between a Tim Peters super sweet called “White Sugar” and an early release yellow super sweet from Friedmann Ebiner of Sativa Rheinau, Switzerland.

 We will also be growing the following additional corn:

Corn (Zea Mays) :: GCo#9 -GCo#36

9. Vadito Concho 10. Cochiti Pueblo 11. Oaxacan Green 12. Chulpi Cancha 13. Giant Incan White 14. Maiz Morado 15. Aztec Red 16. Aztec White Giant 17. Chapalote 18. Cochiti 19. Gila Pima 20. Hopi Blue 21. Hopi Greasy Head 22. Hopi Sweet 23. Maricopa 24. Mayo Batchi 25. Mayo Tuxpeno 26. Mountain Pima Yellow 27. Paiute 28. Santo Domingo Posole 29. Tarahumara 30. Tarahumara Apachito 31. Tarahumara Maiz Azul 32. Tarahumara Rosari 33. Tarahumara Serape 34. Totono O’odham 60-day 35. Yuman Yellow 36. Stowell’s Evergreen

Corn Plant Material/Seed Providers:

• SSE = Seed Savers Exchange http://www.seedsavers.org
• JLH = J.L. Hudson, Seedsman http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net
• RCS = Redwood City Seed Co. www.ecoseeds.com
• NS/S = Native Seeds/SEARCH http://nativeseeds.org/

Corn Purchase Details

OTHER CORN RESOURCES

We are seeking awesome corn resources. If you know of one, please click here to share it with us so we can make this page better.

CORN AS PART OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN MODEL

This section will evolve to include accessioning and plant breeding and sharing information as part of the One Community open source botanical garden model. 

CORN PREPARATION, PRESERVATION, AND RECIPES

This section will evolve to include testimonials, recipe’s, preparations, and preservation methods used on the property first, and then later with additional information from other Highest Good collaborators and teacher/demonstration hubs.

• Best Way to Roast Corn on the Grill
• Easy Corn Casserole
• Southwestern Corn Salad Recipe
• Summer Corn Soup Recipe
• Best Corn Chowder Recipe
• How to Freeze Corn 
• All About Sweet Corn
• A Guide to Corn: Varieties, Harvesting and Storing

Southwestern Corn Dip

Recipe courtesy of: Chew Nibble Nosh

Crunchy Corn Salad

Recipe courtesy of: khanapakana

LINKS TO OTHER EDIBLE PLANT PAGES