Supersweet Corn Seeds Without Nicotinoids?

retiredwith4acres

Garden Ornament
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
336
Reaction score
0
Points
88
Location
Byrdstown, TN
I look and shop for seeds without the pink coatings but have trouble with my mother buying them. She wants her corn supersweets and usually buys those with the coating. I am asking "do any of you have suggestions of where to buy those supersweets without nicotinoids"? That way I can cut her off and order the seeds next year before she buys them. I am afraid our honeybees are being poisoned by the chemicals. We lost 85% of our hives last year. I know we cannot control the corn and soybeans planted nearby but can at least control what goes into our garden. The corn is the last thing for us to change, mainly because she wants her supersweets.
 

ducks4you

Garden Master
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
11,149
Reaction score
13,819
Points
417
Location
East Central IL, Was Zone 6, Now...maybe Zone 5
I'm sorry that I can't suggest, but have you called any local farm supply stores? I know that our local Urbana FS would search for this, if I asked for it.
It is AMAZING to me what some of parents have learned to do. My mother swears by insecticides and MiracleGro, but her "Master-Gardener-by-Way-of-feeding a family" father grew his magnificent little garden on horse manure.
I'm hoping that you can go around her.
 

bj taylor

Garden Ornament
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
1,099
Reaction score
14
Points
92
Location
North Central Texas
wish you luck with your corn. can't offer any ideas. would love to read more about your bees if you get the chance.
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,713
Reaction score
28,711
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
It may not be all that difficult for you to find untreated seed online from a major catalog, '4acres.

Stokes Seed has Extra Early Super Sweet and say quite clearly "Untreated seed."

Johnny's says something about most of their seed is untreated and I think that it is only the treated seed that is identified as such in their catalog.

Go ahead and check out http://www.stokeseeds.com. Take a look at their Extra Early Super Sweet. A note Johnny's may be necessary to ask about treated/untreated.

Steve
wishing you the best of luck with your bees

edited to add: Here is Osbourne Seed's list of untreated seed. You will notice that there are a half dozen untreated supersweets:
http://www.osborneseed.com/product-category.cfm?untreated
 

seedcorn

Garden Master
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
9,627
Reaction score
9,882
Points
397
Location
NE IN
I'm unaware of very many seed companies putting nicotinoids on their seed. Most will use a standard fungicide with a color dye. Fungicides control fungus diseases like pythium and photophoria (my spelling is bad) while nicotinoids like poncho/gaucho are insecticides.

Now on farmer hybrid seed, it is becoming the standard. I bought sweetcorn from a company that sells both and mine had no insecticide on it.

Sweet corn is susceptible to most diseases which is why they prefer to treat it with something.
 

majorcatfish

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Messages
6,865
Reaction score
11,325
Points
377
Location
north carolina
the pink seeds from stokes is a fungicide not a pesticide.
have been growing g121j sweet corn from stokes for years...great corn for canning

biggest thing is to remember is not to spray while plants are in bloom.... if you need to spray for bugs use neem oil ..bee safe...
 

retiredwith4acres

Garden Ornament
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
336
Reaction score
0
Points
88
Location
Byrdstown, TN
Thanks for all the responses. I will check these out.

BJ, we have 6 hives. I have been beekeeping for 5 years. I am not real successful since I lose some every year. I began with 2 hives and added as we go along. For us I think 6 is a good number. Not too much work for a aging couple. We got about 25 quarts last year from two hives. If all goes well we should maybe get 30 this year from the two. I am trying not to get too positive since something could still happen. The others are new this year and therefore not to be robbed. Two hives are weak and not real promising. When we got into them a few days ago they didn't have any or few brood.

We have a great beekeeping association and that is where I have learned what I know. We have great mentors from the club.

Beekeeping as most hobbies eats the money. I will need to get about 30 quarts to sell to get my money back this year. If I could get through the winter with all hives healthy and have a decent honey flow in the spring, we should get 200-400 quarts. BUT, we are not that good!!
 

Latest posts

Top