Corn, Zanadoo Bi-color, Sweet (85 days)
Zea mays
While Zanadoo may have been the summer capital of Kublai Khan, it is unlikely that he even savored anything as delicious as this unique new introduction from breeder Jonathon Spero of an open pollinated bi-color sweet corn with good ear size, organic adaptation and ample sweetness.A selection from Anasazi crossed with Tuxedo (se) – Following on the heels of the white Tuxana, Zanadoo has a mixture of white and yellow kernels and we are finding this bi-color is promising to be a little sweeter than the single color white or yellow Anasazi cross corn lines. About 82 days to maturity with mostly 14 rows of big deep kernels on 7 1/2" long, wide diameter cobs. Robust flavor, long husks give good ear protection. 2 ears per 6 1/2' tall plant. Selected to produce without high fertility levels and without coddling. LKF, OSSI
* Harvest when the kernels produce a milky white fluid, if it’s clear it’s too early, and if there is no fluid, it’s too late and they’ll be starchy (however good for roasting still).
Packet: 1 oz
Bulk: 1/4 Pound
1/2 lb
CORN - Zea mays
Growing Tips: Plant corn by direct seeding 1-2” deep after soil has warmed to at least 70° (Triple Play, Painted Hills Sweet & Hooker’s are specifically adapted to cool soil planting so can be planted earlier in the season). You can also transplant corn for earlier crops, but you have to baby them a bit.
Plant Spacing: Seed 6-10 per foot and thin to 1 plant per 8-12”, rows should be 24-36” apart. Hill method: Plant 5-10 seeds 1-2” deep in a mound, which should be 4-5 feet apart. Grow squash in-between and plant pole beans in mound once corn has emerged. Works better with flour corn and popcorn as it becomes somewhat jungle-like to harvest sweet corn with this method.
Pests: Protect young seedlings from bird predation with floating row covers. A common novice gardener problem is to assume that their corn didn’t come up; when in actuality birds such as jays, robins and crows were digging and pulling up the young sprouts. Scarecrows, floating eye balloons and reflective tape are somewhat effective. Dogs are good, too. Corn earworms (which are actually the caterpillar stage of a moth) can be controlled by spraying Bt. (Dipel™ is a brand name of OMRI certified organic control). Or just bear with their minor inconvenience by chopping the tips off of infected ears.
Harvest: Sweet corn when it’s in the “milk” stage, which you can determine by finding an ear whose silks have dried, gently peeling back some leaves while the ear is still on the plant, then nicking a kernel and looking for milky liquid to ooze out. Clear fluid indicates that it is too early, no liquid – you’re too late, save for seed or flour corn. Raccoons can devastate a corn crop if they find it appealing. Some folks put a battery powered radio in their patch to provide a menacing noise deterrent to keep coons at bay.
Diseases: We have not experienced any significant diseases here in Oregon, but my counsel would be ample fertility from well-matured compost and foliar sprays of compost tea, fish emulsion and kelp when plants are young if you do experience yellowing or die back.
Seed Specs: Sweet: 125-225 seeds per/oz.; Popcorn: 250-300 seeds/oz....
