Saving & Growing Popcorn and Ornamental Corn at Home

Saving & Growing Popcorn and Ornamental Corn at Home

Sweetcorn’s relatives include some of the most fun—and surprising—types of corn you can grow: classic popcorn for movie nights and ornamental corn for fall displays and crafts. Here’s how to add these special corns to your garden year after year!

Growing Popcorn

1. Choosing Your Variety

• Try varieties like ‘Tom Thumb,’ ‘Strawberry Popcorn,’ or ‘Mini Blue.’
• Popcorn needs a longer, warmer summer than sweetcorn—check “days to maturity” before planting.

2. Planting Popcorn

• Plant just like sweetcorn: in blocks for good wind pollination.
• Keep at least 20 meters/yards away from sweetcorn to prevent cross-pollination, which reduces popping ability and sweetness.

3. Growing On

• Care and feed exactly as you would sweetcorn.
• Let cobs dry on the stalks as long as possible.

4. Harvesting and Drying

• When husks turn fully brown and kernels are hard, harvest cobs and remove husks.
• Cure indoors for 3–4 weeks; kernels must be fully hard before storing or popping.

5. Popping Your Own Corn

• Shell seeds from cob.
• Store in airtight jars.
• Test a few kernels; if they don’t pop well, dry further. If they pop into “hulls,” rehydrate by adding a teaspoon of water per cup of kernels, shake, and wait a few days.

Growing Ornamental Corn

1. Beautiful Varieties

• ‘Glass Gem,’ ‘Fiesta,’ ‘Indian Corn,’ and ‘Rainbow’ types have amazing colors—multi-colored, striped, or deep blues and purples.

2. Plant & Grow Like Popcorn

• Needs full sun, block planting, rich soil, and usually a long, hot season.

3. Harvest & Use

• Pick after husks are dry and kernels are rock hard. Use for autumn wreaths, table centerpieces, or holiday crafts.
• Some ornamental corn is edible when ground for cornmeal, but not typically sweet or tender.

Tips for Saving Seeds

• Only save seeds from healthy, dry, fully mature cobs.
• Store in paper bags or jars in a cool, dry place for next year’s planting.
• To avoid cross-pollination, grow only one type of corn or plant different kinds at least 2–3 weeks apart, or on opposite sides of your garden.

Bonus: Make Your Own Fall Decor

• Braid colorful cobs for hanging decorations.
• String kernels for festive garlands or use dried cobs as paint stamps with kids.

Next Up

With special corn types under your belt, let’s return to regular sweetcorn care—Managing Crowding & Ensuring Good Pollination or explore any topic you haven’t seen yet!

Say “do next” if you want to continue your sweetcorn journey, or specify a topic to branch off into popcorn recipes, cornmeal, or harvest festivals! ?