Corn Information Needed

[OldGuy43]

My experience with corn is limited to growing up in Illinois where "the corn is as high as an elephants eye" and my abortive attempt to raise some during the drought two years ago. :/

I'm looking for suggestions as to what to plant here in Zone 8b. Obviously, I want sweet corn. Of particular importance is how tall do particular varieties grow?

 

[baymule]

Can't help ya' much. Don't have room for corn, have to buy mine. How tall does particular varieties get?? Ever tried reading the package??

 

[OldGuy43]

Can't help ya' much. Don't have room for corn, have to buy mine. How tall does particular varieties get?? Ever tried reading the package??

Well, that was useful. :/

 

[897tgigvib]

Corn definitely grows taller in more fertile and well watered well drained soil than less fertile less watered soil, like a lot of plants, but I find it more noticeable with Corn.

Not all the seed companies bother to put the plant's height in the seed catalog or on the packet.

Usually quick maturing varieties have shorter plants than late maturing varieties. Packets and catalogs usually at least say if a variety is early or mid or late maturing. Some of the quickest maturing sweet corn varieties can be as short as 4 foot. Most of the early varieties will be person high when well grown and watered in fertile draining composty rich soil.

Corn does like rich soil!

Most of the midseason corn will be person high to taller than you can reach.
Late season sweet corn gives the really tall plants.

Once corn begins making tassles make sure you do not overhead water it. That messes with it pollinating the silks. Water it down low. So when ya design your corn planting, make sure it is easy to water from down low. Ya don't want to water on the silks or the tassles, at least not very much. That way ya get those nice full ears.

 

[digitS']

I started to respond then decided that I should take a shower. In the ensuing 30 minutes, Marshall has said just about what I ended up writing but, here it is anyway:

I'll say that as a general rule of thumb, OG, the earliest varieties are the shortest.

Fleet is incredibly early & rated as a 69 day variety. At about 5', it is almost an embarrassment to have in the garden . . . but, it is a very tasty bicolor.

Often, Bodacious & Ambrosia are in my garden. They are 75 day varieties and both are taller than I am, so - a respectable height for sweet corn.

I once grew 89 day, Kandy Korn. What was I thinking?! It barely had time to make any mature ears. In fact, only a few ears in that planting ripened before frost! I don't remember what the height was - it was kind of an unnerving experience.

If you are looking for something shorter "than an elephant's eye," go with one of the very quick choices. There's even one known as Quickie! If you want to have a long season of fresh sweet corn, sow more seed every 2 weeks.

Okay, that's about what I can think of to help you from what you asked. I have no real idea about the best varieties for your part of the world.

Steve