Corn Hunt, 2022

[Pulsegleaner]

I went looking for Harlequin and Indian Berries corn seed to buy. Only place I found selling it (called Harlequin vs Indian Berries) was in Serbia. Do you have any suggestions where else they might be available?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124217872916

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114250588100

may also be someone on Etsy who has it.

I'd offer you some of my leftovers, except I literally tossed them out to the birds yesterday because I no longer needed them.

 

[AMKuska]

Yeah, I think the moisture level has to get to about 13% or something close to that. Apparently, some popcorns can be tricky to pop. I've grown Tom Thumb more than any other popcorn, and it's popped for me perfect every time.

We grew Tom Thumb and Dakota Black last year. It popped just fine after drying.

 

[Jack Holloway]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124217872916

https://www.ebay.com/itm/114250588100

may also be someone on Etsy who has it.

I'd offer you some of my leftovers, except I literally tossed them out to the birds yesterday because I no longer needed them.

They are in Greece, so not sure if they'd get here or not. Might have to try them anyway. Thanks again.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Damn I forgot that eBay and Etsy cover the world. I'll keep looking.

 

[Jack Holloway]

Damn I forgot that eBay and Etsy cover the world. I'll keep looking.

Don't fret over it. I also found some in India, and I think South Africa. Where did you get your seed in the first place?

I'll be talking with a former coworker who's daughter is living in Bulgaria right now to see if she'll order for me, then mail them to me. Need to figure out all the issues with that. I should get an import permit for seeds, but if I remember correctly it is suppose to be for only 50 seeds per pack, and only 60(?) seeds of one variety. Not sure, will need to check with @Bluejay77 about that.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Don't fret over it. I also found some in India, and I think South Africa. Where did you get your seed in the first place?

I got mine from my local farmer's market stand last fall; it was their mini Indian corn that year. And when I say it is Indian berries I mean it appears to be that, it's not like I did a DNA test.

More importantly, it turns out I CAN send you a little. When I said I had thrown it out to the birds, I meant I had given it to my Dad to throw out to the birds, and it turns out he hadn't quite finished that (with the amounts I send out, it does it a bit at a time so as not to overwhelm them. So I retrieved what was left. It's not much (maybe 2-300 kernels) and there are no purple kernels in there (since I would have picked them out when I was selecting what I was planning to grow, back when I didn't know what it was). But it's a start. Just send me your address and I'll send it over to you.

 

[Jack Holloway]

@Pulsegleaner would you mind telling us how you grow you corn? How tall does the Indian Berries get for you? Guestimate of how may days to maturity?

 

[Pulsegleaner]

@Pulsegleaner would you mind telling us how you grow you corn? How tall does the Indian Berries get for you? Guestimate of how may days to maturity?

I can't answer the last two questions since I have never actually GROWN Indian Berries (all my seed came from the farmer's market last fall, remember?) But that data should be available online.

As for how I TRY to grow my corn (again remember, I haven't had success in over a decade,) I tended to prepare a flat or two of peat pellets (1 flat + 72 pellets), sow one or two kernels in each water them, cover it and leave it somewhere warm (usually the top of a radiator) for a week or so. At that point, I take the top off, check germination (my corn seed is mostly over 20 years old now, so high germination is not a guarantee) discard any that have no sprouts, then transfer them into small pots and move them to the cold frame. Once the corn has grown enough that is has lost all of its stored food (and the animals won't attack it.) I move those pots into the corn patch, putting 3-5 together per hill. That's how it's SUPPOSED to work.

The main change I'm planning to make next planting is to use larger pots and make up the hills in those. Hopefully, that will disturb the roots less.

 

[Jack Holloway]

I can't answer the last two questions since I have never actually GROWN Indian Berries (all my seed came from the farmer's market last fall, remember?) But that data should be available online.

Oh, sorry. I knew you got some last fall, I just didn't realize, or it didn't sink in, that it was the first time you found these. Mea culpa.

The idea of starting indoors to discover what will grow from old seed makes sense. Thank you for that.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I found Baker Creek's original byline and they say Indian berries grows about 4-5 feet tall.

They do say, however, that the ears set REALLY low to the ground (only a few feet), so you may want to add extra protection against animal damage.

Another corn I think that could be fun to play around with a bit more is Chire's Baby. While I have a few problems with how they are marketing it (yes, you can use it as popcorn if you let it get too old for baby corn, but no sane person would, as the popped kernels are the size of the bits that FALL OFF of normal popcorn.) But the fact that is IS so tiny, the second tiniest corn I have ever seen* plus it still has the multi tiller trait at pretty close to wild standards means there is probably some interesting potential there. Maybe make it have some more colors than just red.
*It WAS the smallest, until the day I walked into a Native American Art store near me and saw a kachina holding a basket containing three real ears of corn about the size of the last two joints of my finger.) I did grab a few loose kernels, but misplaced them before I could plant them (and by the time I went back there, the Kachina was not longer in the store.)