Synergistic hybrid Corn

[karstopography]

Anyone grown these? I ordered “Cafe” and “Sparkler”. Cafe is a 68 day yellow and Sparkler a 78 day bicolor.
Each synergistic ear has 75% (se) kernels and 25% (sh2) kernels. The sweet taste blends (se) tenderness with (sh2) crispness.

[pondgardener]

@karstopography I was looking at some of the offers at Harris Seeds and Sparkler caught my attention too. I may try it next year.

[Tormahto]

I planted a few ears of Cafe this year, only for debreeding/breeding purposes. I'm not sure if I harvested any, as I haven't decoded the plot numbers of corn in the garden, yet.

[Uncle_Feist]

I've been growing the bicolor Montauk since it was first released. After growing at least 50 different sweet corn varieties of all genetic types over 40 years, Montauk was the first and only synergistic. It's still the only corn I grow to this day, no need for me to look further.

[GoDawgs]

Pickles was looking at this type in the SeedsNSuch catalog yesterday. She saw a blurb in their Types Of Sweet Corn narrative about the ability to grow this "with other syn, se and su types, but must be isolated from Super Sweets (sh2)."

Does this mean you can plant it with those compatible types listed and if both are silking at the same time they won't cross pollinate? If so, that would be a nice plus for scheduling stuff in the garden here. Plant two types with the approximate same DTM and be done with it.

I already have the seed for the spring garden but might try some next year if it doesn't cross-pollinate.

[Tormahto]

Pickles was looking at this type in the SeedsNSuch catalog yesterday. She saw a blurb in their Types Of Sweet Corn narrative about the ability to grow this "with other syn, se and su types, but must be isolated from Super Sweets (sh2)."

Does this mean you can plant it with those compatible types listed and if both are silking at the same time they won't cross pollinate? If so, that would be a nice plus for scheduling stuff in the garden here. Plant two types with the approximate same DTM and be done with it.

I already have the seed for the spring garden but might try some next year if it doesn't cross-pollinate.

Silking doesn't always line up with tasseling (which is the pollination stage).

There are now so many types of corn that I can't keep up with them. With some types, it is OK for cross pollination with some other types, if all you're going to do is eat the corn.

Some types will produce tough kernels, if crossed with the wrong types, from what I've read.

[worth1]

Theoretically one ear of corn can have as many crossed kernels on it as there are kernels.
Is this not true?

[karstopography]

Synergistic hybrids were developed in the early 1990’s in an effort to increase sugar levels of su / se types while maintaining the tender pericarp for which se types were famous. To achieve elevated sweetness along with excellent tenderness, the ears of these synergistic varieties combine approximately 25% supersweet (sh2) kernels with 75% se or su/se kernels. These delicious varieties are best used for fresh market sales, as long distance shipping is not recommended. Isolate from field corn, popcorn, ornamental corn and supersweet (sh and shA) types. For best results, isolate from Normal Sugary (su) types. “Isolation” as used above can either mean at least 250 ft. apart, separated by an effective wind break, or 10 to 14 days difference in maturity because corn is wind pollinated.

https://www.harrisseeds.com/collections ... color-corn

[Danny]

I have several types of corn to plant out in the future, but my main corn has been Miria for several years now. A friend told me about it and she was more than right, it is a really good corn. Getting harder to find seed for, True Leaf is carrying now for Kitwanna ( mispelled), so will buy some in bulk I think. We try/trial others, but it always is the best for eating. I always try to offset the silk and tasseling times with the other corns . I want to grow some flints and flour types for the chickens.

[pondgardener]

@Danny Mirai was my wife's all time favorite, but as you mentioned, seed was difficult to obtain. You may want to check out the link below to possibly consider a substitute.

https://www.harrisseeds.com/blogs/from- ... -corn-seed

[Danny]

@Danny Mirai was my wife's all time favorite, but as you mentioned, seed was difficult to obtain. You may want to check out the link below to possibly consider a substitute.

https://www.harrisseeds.com/blogs/from- ... -corn-seed

Thank you, I sometimes purchase from Harris seeds. I did find the Miria seed at Kitazawa seed. That very venerable seed company seems to have teamed up with True Leaf, but still handles orders through thier own website. I use the Kitazawa seed company for a lot of my veggies. They also have an outstanding red chinese type cabbage, tasty and gorgeous colored. If your wife loves the Miria corn, they do have 3 varieties available now.

https://kitazawaseed.com/

[karstopography]

Got my Sparkler and Cafe synergistic corn finished planted. Cafe is 68 days. Sparkler is 78. They are about 100 feet apart. Hope there’s no crosses.

[GoDawgs]

I wish seed companies would all get on the same sheet of music when it comes to the isolation subject for synergistics. They're all over the map as far as what other types to isolate from or not isolate at all. It seems every catalog is different as is advice online too.

If I ever decide to grow it I'll just plant it with enough time between it and whatever else to prevent crossing and be done with it.

@karstopography, I'll be interested in seeing how yours does.

[Tormahto]

Got my Sparkler and Cafe synergistic corn finished planted. Cafe is 68 days. Sparkler is 78. They are about 100 feet apart. Hope there’s no crosses.

Monitor the tasseling, hand pollinate if needed, and there shouldn't be any problems. Silking with pollination, should be about 21-22 days before picking, Tasseling may come before or after silking. So, there is a chance of tasseling at the same time.

I can't help you if the 2 varieties silk and tassel at the same time, and you get 60 mph wind gusts.

Got raccoons?

[karstopography]

@Tormato yes on the raccoons. Anything that I might happen to leave in my truck bed that might be in the very broad genre of food gets a visit from raccoons, they leave their little footprints.

One stand of the corn, the Cafe, is protected by a net, for whatever that is worth. I have a few have-a-heart traps and might set them out or I could set up a temporary barrier or put out 5 pounds of catfood to satiate the raccoons of just stay up all night.

I’ll put up a barrier for sure. Maybe Sharpened bamboo stakes tipped with poison set in a hidden pit. A 12 gauge with a trip wire. C4. Seal Team Six.

[GoDawgs]

It's not been the raccoons the last two years that are the problem. It's the squirrels! I've tried netting and a have-a-heart trap. They still get in. This year it will be the "socks over the ears" trial. I've collected a bunch of old socks!

[Tormahto]

@Tormato yes on the raccoons. Anything that I might happen to leave in my truck bed that might be in the very broad genre of food gets a visit from raccoons, they leave their little footprints.

One stand of the corn, the Cafe, is protected by a net, for whatever that is worth. I have a few have-a-heart traps and might set them out or I could set up a temporary barrier or put out 5 pounds of catfood to satiate the raccoons of just stay up all night.

I’ll put up a barrier for sure. Maybe Sharpened bamboo stakes tipped with poison set in a hidden pit. A 12 gauge with a trip wire. C4. Seal Team Six.

Since corn is generally ready to pick 21 days after the silk has been pollinated, raccoons consistently show on the 20th day, here. That is the honest truth. If they show up, because some years they don't, it's almost always the day before the mark on my calendar.

[JRinPA]

@karstopography instead of that fully outfitted group have considered a single chuck norris scarecrow with sleeveless denim vest?

I have not tried the Synergistic types but am well satisfied with the sh2 I grow.

I plan to stagger small plots in the same areas this year. For protectcion I will again be using socks. Or as I've come think of them... cobdoms!

[GoDawgs]

I plan to stagger small plots in the same areas this year. For protectcion I will again be using socks. Or as I've come think of them... cobdoms!

[Danny]

There went the coffee, cobdoms !!!

Have to remember that trick of socking the ears. The raccoons don't come back asking for Nikes do they?