How far apart to plant different corn

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Queenweed Saint Johns, AZ Apr 24, 2008

I want to plant some heirloom popcorn and hybrid sweet corn. How far apart do they need to be so as not to cross pollinate?

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tucsonjill Lincoln, NE(Zone 5a) Apr 29, 2008

I don't know myself, Queenweed. It might depend on other factors as well, such as how long of a season do they each have. If one comes to maturity a lot later than the other, distance might not matter since they wouldn't both be pollinating at the same time anyway.

Are you planning on saving seed from the popcorn?

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Queenweed Saint Johns, AZ Apr 29, 2008

Yes. I am just starting serious gardening and I am trying to become a seed saver at the same time. I am not sure how successful I will be...Thanks for your reply.

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Apr 29, 2008

Popcorn has serious problems with cross pollination. It has to be completely isolated by either time or distance. If distance we talking about a quarter mile or so. Pollen is windborne.

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Queenweed Saint Johns, AZ Apr 29, 2008

Thanks. Ouch. I have neighbors 1 1/2 - 2 blocks away who grow sweet corn. Maybe popcorn won't work for me. Too bad I didn't ask before I bought the seed...

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Apr 29, 2008

That may be enough if houses between you form a decent windbreak. Even better if they are down wind (prevailing wind)

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Burnet Ashland, OR(Zone 8a) May 01, 2008

Just to be more discouraging, my understanding is that corn suffers from serious inbreeding depression. This means that you really want to save seed from quite a large patch, or your quality/vigor/etc. will go downhill. I don't have the book from which I learned this, but I seem to remember that it was a matter of hundreds of plants. Admittedly, I got this information from precisely one book, so I'm perfectly willing to be told that I'm wrong. :)

If you have only a modest sized garden, you may want to save seed from plants with less of a cross pollination issue, and without the inbreeding depression issue. (The second criterion allows, really, most garden vegetables - I think it's mostly corn and possibly other grains that have the inbreeding depression.)

Burnet


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