Rule of Thumb for Ripening Corn

I grow some Kandy Corn every year. It's sometimes listed as a 90-day variety, but in past years it's been ready between 74 and 82 days for me.

This year it's developing 'WAY early. I'm sure not complaining, but only 50 days after planting I've got 8 foot cornstalks, 2 or 3 ears on every stalk, and cornsilk appeared about 7 days ago. In fact, some of the cornsilks are starting to dry up already.

I know how to check for ripe corn - after the silk dries up I'll watch to see that the ears are filled out and when kernels have "milk" when they're crushed, it's ready. It seems, though, that I read somewhere that sweet corn is ready about 19 days after the cornsilk appears. Has anyone else heard that, and is it right?

That would put me on track to have ripe corn at 62 days, which is hard to believe with this variety.

I'd like to know, too.

I am confused about the "days" that are listed on the seed packages.
When are we suppose to begin counting? From the day that they first sprout up from the ground?

Ozark - that would be nice and early wouldn't it? Since Kandy Corn is a hybrid, my first theory is out the door. I find from saving seeds from OP varieties that they become acclimated to my growing conditions after a season or two and produce much better and earlier than the original seed. This is especially nice for tomatoes as it's always tough to get a decent crop here before the summer blast furnace hits - lol...

Quyen - days to maturity is a guesstimate - when your fruit is ready to harvest depends on many things, including soil, moisture and weather. I understand the counting begins from germination if direct seeded or from transplant if you go that route. But again, keep in mind it is an estimate...

Thanks, locakelly. I guess I need to keep better track of the whats and whens that I plant. (not my strong suit)

LOL - most stuff you can tell be the looks of it when it's ready. Some stuff it helps to have an idea of how long it's been in the ground...

I use DTM mostly for planning purposes - to know what to plant next and when I can plant it approximately.

My biggest downfall is when I put in a "replacement" seed for something that didn't work. It's usually a last minute idea born out of frustration so I can't really "retrace my steps" to figure out what was going on in my mind! I have lots of seeds and not enough space so I just plant wherever there's room.

Ozark: sorry about the side track.

Here its always been said that your corn should be: "knee high by 4th of July". However.... this year my corn was 5 feet tall by then. I'm just starting to harvest the first rows. I wanted Brocade but it was sold out. So I 've got bonjore. Its a bicolor SE. When the silk turns brown and dries..... corns ready. Sugars are high but ears are small. Its been sooooo dry. They grow acres around here for the methanol plant in Medina. I've seen farmers checking sugar content with a refractometer.. but no one is harvesting yet. Its sad because I watched bulldozers strip acres of peaches and apple trees out to make room for corn. There just isnt any money in fruit.