Indian Art Red Fire (F1) Corn Seed

Scientific name

Zea mays

Soil temperature

Ornamental, flour and pop corn can go into slightly cooler soil than sweet corn, which wants at least 60°F (16°C).

Days to maturity

Counted from direct sowing. Weather and sowing date shift the real date a lot, so use the figures to compare varieties rather than to predict harvest.

Direct sowing

Plant early so the kernels have time to dry down fully. Sow 3/4–1" deep, 6–7" apart (or 2 seeds every 9" and thin to one), in rows 30–36" apart, and sow more thickly with untreated seed. Plant in blocks of at least four rows so the ears pollinate and fill well. Later sowings can go in through early summer, though most growers stretch the season with varieties of different maturities.

Seeding rate

At 2 seeds per foot in rows 36" apart. Popcorn: about 3/4 lb. per 1,800 ft., 1 lb. per 2,400 ft., 6 lb. (about 28,800 seeds) per acre. Ornamental, flour and cornmeal types: about 3/4 lb. per 600 ft., 1 lb. per 800 ft., 18¼ lb. (about 29,200 seeds) per acre.

Pests

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) controls corn borers and earworms; tilling in or composting stalks right after harvest is the best defense against borers. Wireworms point to undecomposed organic matter such as turned-in sod or mulch and fade once the soil humus is stable. Your local Extension office can advise on integrated pest management. A three-strand electric fence, with wires 3–4" apart, usually keeps raccoons out.

Harvest

Pick when the kernels are hard and glossy and the husks have mostly dried. Finish drying husked ears under cover if needed. Popcorn must be fully mature or it will not pop well.

Curing popcorn

Spread husked ears in a dry, airy place for several weeks. Popcorn pops best at 13–14.5% moisture; test-pop a few kernels now and then to tell when it is ready to store, on or off the cob.

Packet

100 seeds.

Seeds per lb.

About 1,700 on average.