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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

I made these notes from reading various websites on growing sweet corn. 
None of this is my own writing, but sadly, I did not copy the sources.

Plant corn when soils reach a temperature of at least 50 degrees F. Corn
seed will not germinate in colder soils, decaying instead. The extra
sweet varieties require even warmer soil, at least 60 degrees F. You can
warm soil by covering with black plastic and punching holes through it
to plant seed. The rate at which corn grows is heavily influenced by
warm soil and air temperatures.

Plant seeds one to one-and-one-half inches deep, except for extra sweet
varieties, which should only be planted three-fourths an inch deep.

Corn is monoecious (mon-ee-shuss) which means that there are both male
and female flowers on each corn plant. In some monoecious plants, male
and female parts are in the same flower. In corn, male and female
flowers are in different locations - the male flowers form a tassel
which is at the top of the plant. The female flower is located at the
junction of leaves and stem. It consists of a collection of hairs
(silks) enclosed in the husks of what will become the ears. These silks
are pollen-receiving tubes. Wind-blown pollen from the male flowers
(tassel) falls on the silks below. Each silk leads to a kernel, and
pollen must land on all silks for the ear to fill out completely with
kernels. Kernel "skips" (ears only partly filled out with kernels) often
are the result of poor pollination.

Ears of corn are often underdeveloped at the tip end. This is common not 
only in gardens, but also in large commercial planting. Several 
explanations have been suggested as the cause including nutrient 
deficiency, loss of foliage because of disease with correspondingly 
lower food manufacturing capacity, cool temperatures during ear maturity 
and low moisture. Corn is cross-pollinated by wind-blown pollen from the 
male flowers or tassels at the top of the plant to the female flowers or 
silks about midway up the stalks. Each kernel develops from an 
individually pollinated silk. Kernels develop near the middle and base 
of the ear first with those at the tip developing last. When unfavorable 
conditions occur such as those mentioned above, those kernels pollinated 
first will take precedence over those pollinated last. This often 
results in failure of the kernels near the tip to develop properly.


On a corn seed packet, you may find a short genetic abbreviation which
describes the type of sweet corn; different types require different
cultural conditions:
1) "Normal" sweet corn (su) - Kernels contain moderate but varying
levels of sugar, depending on variety. Sugars convert to starches
rapidly after harvest.  The corn must be cooked within minutes or hours 
of harvest for sweetness.
2) "Sugar-enhanced" (se, se+, or EH) - Genes in this type modify the su
gene, resulting in increased tenderness and sweetness. Additionally,
conversion of sugar to starch is slowed, therefore the corn will remain 
sweeter even for several days after picking.
3) "Super-sweet" or "Xtra-sweet" (sh2) - This gene, (sh short for
shrunken), creates greatly increased sweetness and slow conversion of
starch. The dry kernels (seeds) of this type are smaller and shriveled. 
This type allows for an even longer time between picking and cooking.



The flavor of sweet corn is highly dependent on weather conditions.
If it rains within a week of harvest time, the flavor of sweet corn is
often greatly diminished. Also, if the corn matures during high daytime
temperatures as well as high nighttime temperatures, the sugar levels of
sweet corn will be low and flavor will be disappointing. The sugar in
sweet corn is converted to starch rapidly even under optimum storage
conditions so the corn should be cooked soon after harvest.

Feed plants with a balanced liquid organic fertilizer three times: when
they reach 10 inches, then 18 inches, and when tassels appear.
Make sure plants get at least an inch of water a week, but never water
from above - it can wash away pollen.


Generally two-three weeks from the time corn silk appears is when sweet
corn is ripe and ready for picking.
After pollination, apply mineral oil to silks to prevent earworms
Harvest when husks are dark green, silks are dry and brown but still
supple, and full-size kernels reach to the top of the ear. For most
varieties, that will be about 20 days after the silks appear.



Corn is easy to freeze. The Texas A&M Extension home economists say
to shuck and blanch (cook in boiling water or steam) corn for 7-10
minutes, immediately cooling in ice water, before freezing. However,
some of the old timers say throw it in the freezer shuck, silk and all
after putting ears into a freezer bag. They microwave it in the same
container, in the shuck, then shuck and silk it immediately before
eating. Such a procedure prevents freezer burn and, supposedly keeps the
corn garden fresh.

--
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public
debt  should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered
and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed
lest Rome become bankrupt.  People must again learn to work, instead of
living on public assistance."

--Cicero, 55 BC
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