GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Where can I get sweetcorn seeds which is not a hybrid?

Mike Lyle[_1_] · 18-10-2006, 02:04 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

Martin wrote:
On 18 Oct 2006 10:46:42 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:

In article ,
Martin writes:
|
| Yes. Fully ripe means that you should get over 95% germination rate on
| saved seeds.
|
| We eat them first.

Precisely. Sweetcorn is unripe maize, before the sugars have been
converted to starch.

| Have you seen truly ripe maize?
|
| I think so. I am sure you are going to tell me I am wrong :-)

How perspicacious you are!

:-)

You may have done, but I don't think that you will have done in the
UK, and probably not even in northern France. There is a fairly
long ripening period (needing some warmth and quite a lot of sun)
after the maize has ceased to be worth eating as sweetcorn before
it is fully ripe. In a suitable climate, all of the sugars are
converted to starch before the kernels start drying out, and so
they end up a lot less shrivelled than dried UK ones become.

Is the maize grown to feed cattle fully ripened or not?

Yes: the grain's imported. Unless there have been some changes putting
me out of date (it wouldn't be the first time), the maize grown in this
country is harvested green, for silage. Of course some is also grown
for the rather inferior cobs you get at the greengrocer's. I don't
think it would be economic to try growing it to maturity.

--
Mike.