This is the first year I’ve ever successfully grown sweet corn to maturity, I have a pretty short season. I mixed as many early maturing sweets together as I could and it worked beautifully.
Now I’m spoilt for choice. How many ears should I save for seed? So far I’ve set aside my best 3 cobs for seed. Is there a minimum number?
Save what you want to save, enough for you to grow again, and some to send in to GTS. The earliest and best tasting or what your selecting for…I leave the cobs on the stalks, pull down the husk, taste a few kernals…if its going to be saved push the husk back up onto the cob. The cob can be left on the stalk until it falls over and then has dried out … turn brown/tan color … as long as animals cant take them, nor birds get to them. How much did you plant?
I also recommend the course on GTS about the Oaxuchan “Milpa” and how they grow and select corn for seed. The videos are really helpful.
Okay thanks Kim. I didn’t want to leave them on the stalk because it’s going to start freezing pretty hard here soon. As long as there is no minimum needed for genetic diversity I’ll just keep saving the earliest/tastiest/biggest cobs.
I must have around 75-100 plants. Okay I’ll check out the video.
I didnt realize you are getting cold weather…Im still having 100 degree days…(yikes). I guess watch the temps closely day by day, typically the cobs are left on the stalk until dry. Perhaps cutting part of the stalk with the cobs attached? Definitely a harvesting consideration as the temperatures decline to freezing. Once the kernals are completely dry, freezing is ok to kill all the insect eggs and prepare the seed for suitable shelf life.
https://agcrops.osu.edu/newsletter/corn-newsletter/2019-33/late-season-frost-effects-corn-grain-production-adapted-dr-j
Here is a link describing damage by late season cold temperatures and how it impacts the seed/grain harvest. But I’m sure its referring to “field corn” used as livestock feed.
In the GTS course, Center of Origin: Traditional Farming Methods in Southern Mexico – Going to Seed, the saved seed is only taken from the best kernals in the middle section of the cobs. The top and bottom inch or so of kernels are removed and milled for corn meal or fed to animals. Im not sure of all the culinary uses of dried sweet corn. So the middle kernals, like a four inch section, are the seeds selected for saving.
