2019 Corn Hunt Begins

[Pulsegleaner]

Hi all,

Well, it's that time of year again, the time when I begin to prowl the supermarkets and farmer's market stands in search of interesting Indian corn to add to my plantings.

So far the count this year stands at 4 ears/bunches (it's rare I can use more than one ear out of a bunch, so the counts are equivalent to me) one mutli, one chinmark, one red and one amber. All got in the easy way; by having some sweet corn kernels mixed in. I.e. as of yet no ears with actual interesting patterns (like the polka dots I hunt so avidly) or combinations (like my miniature non pop corns).

Actually, there was only one really outstanding polka dot last year and no combinations (then again those really only ever came from one stand, and they stopped having it years ago) But I suppose it is early.

 

[flowerbug]

i am interested and listening, but know nothing of the terminology or varieties. still, like any beach stone picker who's transformed into a bean and pea picker... i'm listening...

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well, as I said, there isn't much to say yet. The sweet corn kernels are nice, and useful for trying to get a colored sweet corn strain up and running (sweet corn is the kind of corn eating corn, corn on the cob is as opposed to the others used for corn meal). But they can happen ANYWHERE, wherever some sweet corn pollen gets into the Indian corn field.

The speckled stuff is the result of a gene that is sort of rare in North American corns (though quite common in, say, Andean). It makes kernels with little speckles of color all over them (it's a little hard to see but my avatar photo is of speckled dent corn)

The miniature non pop corn is just a fun little thing I found. Generally the only time you see miniature cobs is for pop corns (in fact there is something called the P gene locus that keeps a lot of pop corns from accepting pollen from non pop corns)There are exceptions (like Tom Thumb sweet corn) but that is the general rule. Evidently that stand had the other kind and let things get out of control as they would up with miniature flints (hard corn what most Indian corn is, also what you use for polenta) as well as a few mini dents (dimpled kernels, what most of our cornmeal is made from) mini flours (usually Southwestern corns grind very fine) and a few sweet even there.

I also got my hands on some Waxy/Glutinous corn seed in Chinatown this year, so I can play around with that

And there is nothing wrong with being a beach stone picker. PARTICULARLY in Mid Michigan. After all you have Lake Petrotsky and it's Petrosky stones, Lake Superior and it's agates, Leland Blue (okay that's NORTHERN Michigan but you get the idea).....

 

[Pulsegleaner]

One more bunch with some sweet kernels. Stand that used to have the mini stuff just has regular mini (as it has for the last ten years or so). No good spotting on the other stand's. I think the other two opted out of growing corn this year.

 

[ducks4you]

My Blue Dent 2 years running has produced miniature ears. ALL OF THEM. I thought I would get bigger. Any thoughts?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

No clue. Are the kernels miniature or just the ears. Corns vary as to size of course (I used to have an ear I found at a farmers market that was as big as a child's baseball bat, with kernels the size of shirt buttons.) Maybe it needs more fertilizer?

 

[ducks4you]

The kernals are from my 2018 harvest and the same size as the seeds. The are tiny seeds and were sold as "Blue Dent Corn." Don't think they need fertilizer bc I amended them and grew them in 2 different beds this year, different soils, same result.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

FINALLY found an ear with a little speckling. Though very, very little (too little in fact to take a photo, nothing would show up).

What makes this extra annoying is that the corn came from David Shantz farms, who used to be my BEST source for good speckling. If THEIR stuff is so plain, I have little hope of anyone else's being better. I REALLY have to figure out how to protect mine from the critters this spring, since it looks like any new discoveries are going to have to come out of my own patch.

 

[flowerbug]

what are you seeking? if i come across anything i can get some and send it...

 

[Pulsegleaner]

What I really seeking falls into two main categories (there is of course the "sweet corn kernels on Indian corn but that is SO general I don't send others out on it.)

One is corn with the stippled gene which results in kernels with speckles (like in my avatar photo)

The other is any miniature corn ear that ISN'T popcorn. That is any mini ear demonstrating kernels that are dent, flour or sweet. (I'd take flint too, but since there is no good way to tell a flint from a pop kernel by sight that isn't worth it.)