Supersweet Corn

For decades, Fedco has been a firm proponent of “eating quality” in sweet corn with flavor, texture and kernel depth as our in-house metrics. We’re a “corny” flavor bunch, dismissing sweetness as the sole measure of breeding progress. Until recently, we hadn’t encountered eating excellence in a Supersweet (sh2) variety. Breeders have now balanced the extra-sweetness with tenderness, creaminess and full flavor. With the sh2 gene, conversion of sugar to starch occurs at a much slower rate, so corn stays sweet long after harvest.

Culture: Supersweet types germinate poorly in cool soils. Wait until soil temps exceed 65° for direct seeding—mid-June in central Maine.

Supersweets require 300' isolation from all other corn types to prevent the kernels of other corns from becoming starchy and tough. If you don’t have space to isolate, choosing a Supersweet means foregoing other sweet corn types.

• About 85–200 seeds/oz. Seeds per packet vary.
  • Open-pollinated selections average 100 seeds/oz
  • Normal sugary varieties 140 seeds/oz
  • SE cultivars with shrunken seeds 150-160 seeds/oz
• Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing; for transplants, subtract 20 days.

Culture: Untreated sweet corn seed will not germinate in cold wet soil. Please be patient and wait till soil warms to at least 60° before sowing, or start seedlings indoors and transplant at 3–6" before taproots take off. Minimum soil temperature 55°, optimal temperature range 65–85°. Tender, will not survive frost. Heavy nitrogen requirements.