Sweet Corn, Candy Mountain (Organic)
Zea mays. Sweet. 70-80 days.
An early-mid season open pollinated, yellow sweet corn, with mixed sugar enhanced (SE) and normal sugary (SU) kernels. This combo gives Candy Mountain a rich flavor that is sweeter than “old timey” corn but not as sweet as most modern corn. The SE trait will keep this corn sweet for a few days after picking. Selected in Montana from the classic 1978 hybrid Kandy Korn. The original hybrid is known for its great cool soil emergence and early season vigor. We found Candy Mountain to have similar characteristics and it definitely grows well in our western Oregon climate with good early maturity. As with most open pollinated corn, there is some pleasant variation but we are selecting for 7″ long cobs with 12 rows of rich yellow SE kernels. Short plants have a burgundy tinge to the husks and leaves which is very beautiful in the field. We thank Seeds Trust for making this variety available.
| Geographical Origin |
|---|
Corn does best when direct sown 1” deep, spaced at 12” centers, but can be planted as close as 8″ apart if given enough fertility. If sowing early in cold soil we recommend soaking seed overnight in water before sowing. Sow once danger of frost has passed. For optimal pollination do not plant a single row, instead plant 3-4 rows in blocks of at least 100 plants. Use row cover to protect emerging seedlings from birds and insects.
Seed Saving
Harvest cobs for grain or seed when stalks are brown and ears are dry. Fold husk back and leave indoors to finish drying completely. Remove kernels by rubbing two cobs together, or by hand. Test for dryness with a hammer; dry kernels shatter. Isolate from other corn by distance –1 mile – or time, two weeks – between sowings.
Callan (verified owner) –
Where did you grow this variety? Mountain West US
Our friends and neighbors in our mountain town laughed at me for trying to grow corn on the cob. On average our nights never get above 55 even thought we do have long days. I coaxed a few ears out for 2018 and using that knowledge, managed a 3 x 10 plot for 2019. The corn stalks topped our about 5 feet but each produced one decent ear and one or two secondary ears that looked like overgrown baby corn for an Asian dinner. The texture was dense but the flavor was very good. I started the corn indoors in 6″ pots (4 seeds per pot) and gave them a month before taking them outside. The stalks were not uniform in size but I would not blame that on the seed. I will try again this year and see if I can improve the overall outcome. Regardless, both the corn and I are legendary! Even the deer, who are very polite about the fence (you have your side and we have ours) looked at it longingly.
Upvote if this was helpful (3) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal
Question
Jeannette Wilson (verified owner) –
How high does Candy Mountain Corn grow? I’m also planting Texas Honey June corn, and I need to place the tallest to the back.
Thanks,
Jeannette
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Watch Unwatch Flag for removal
Jo Erikson –
Candy Mountain gets to be about 6-7′ tall for us here in the Willamette Valley when we direct sow it by June 1st. Depending on your exact growing conditions, how much you fertilize, etc., you may get different results. Thanks!
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Flag for removal
Carolyn Yoder –
Are you supposed to plant this variety 4″ apart (or thereabouts) and in rows that are 18″ apart? Or 18″ apart in rows that are 18″ apart? 18″ seems really far apart for corn, but I’ve never planted a non-hybrid version before. Thanks!
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Flag for removal
Jo Erikson –
We’ve found that corn does best when planted at roughly 18″ centers. We direct sow 1″ deep, 2 rows to a bed (18″ apart) and then thin out to about 18″ centers or about 2-3 plants every 2.5-3 ft in row.
Upvote if this was helpful (0) Downvote if this was not helpful (0) Flag for removal