Looking for most productive sweet corn.

15 years ago

I am looking for a sweet corn that will produce 2 or more ears of corn. My garden space is limited, so I would like to maximize my yield. I understand that with the proper spacing, watering, feeding, etc. that some varieties will sometimes produce 2 ears. I grow and really like Serendipty (synergistic sh2 + se)and I will get a few that produce two full ears--usually from stalks on the ends of the rows or outside rows. I know there are field corn varities that will grow more than two ears, so it seems like there would be a sweet corn that could do the same. Thank you.

Brett

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Comments (9)

wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
15 years ago
Since you observed that stalks with more room can produce 2 ears...........

The only field corn I see with 2 ears is where there is extra spacing between the stalks and usually they are along the outside row which receives more light and room.
farmerdill
15 years ago
Concur: Space is essential to production of multiple usable ears. Serendipity will give you two ears at 15 -16 inch spacing in 42 inch rows, as will will most other mid-main season hybrids.
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User
15 years ago
It seems that the question is more yield per area rather than yield per stalk. In the same square footage, is it better to plant closer and get one ear from many more stalks, or to space further apart and try for 2 ears from fewer plants?
tatton95
Original Author
15 years ago
Since space is limited I am hoping to get more yield per stalk in the same square footage. Thanks.
fusion_power
15 years ago
Then plant more seed in limited space up to the maximum density that can be supported. The three key inputs will be highly fertile soil, water from irrigation, and maximum sunlight. You can get down to about 1 plant per square foot for most normal sweet corn varieties but will really have to push soil fertility and provide irrigation to get it to be successful at that density. I would suggest interspersing seed of a very short season variety with seed of a long season variety. That way the early variety will produce and be gone before the long season variety matures.

DarJones
tatton95
Original Author
15 years ago
I am already pushing the maximum density, I plant my corn 10 inches apart with a second row only 1 foot to the side with another row planted the same about 2 feet to the side of the first row. I get very nice fully developed ears from these stalks, but would like to find a variety that would yield 2 ears with the same spacing. Thanks.
wertach zone 7-B SC
15 years ago
Merit and silver queen do well for me, almost all stalks have 2 ears. I am a row planter though. About 2' between rows and 4" spacing in the rows.
grandad_2003
15 years ago
To ltilton's question of Nov 4 ... I think it's a matter of preference. I prefer the closer spacing with only one ear per plant. An 8 inch spacing on 2 1/2 ft wide rows for the sh2 corn varieties I've planted seem to work best. Slightly closer was OK but the size of the ears decreased as a result of the closer spacing. Also, should note that the sh2 varieties I've planted grew smaller plants than the Merit or Silver Queen.
User
15 years ago
grandad - that's my own approach. I find that 2nd ears tend to get shorted on pollination and aren't worth the trouble.