The transcript discusses the benefits and process of growing baby corn in a backyard garden, highlighting its high yield, ease of cultivation without the need for pollination, and early harvest before pest issues arise. The gardener shares tips on planting, maintenance, and harvesting, recommending the variety ‘Chires’ from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for its flavor and ease of growth.
How to Successfully Grow Baby Corn in Your Backyard Garden
If you’ve ever wanted to grow corn or struggled to do so in your backyard garden, then you have to try baby corn. Here are the top three reasons why:
- Crazy Yields: You can expect to get 20 to 40 ears per plant.
- No Pollination Worries: I’ll explain this in detail shortly.
- Early Harvest: You’ll be picking corn long before any major earwig issues arise.
What is Baby Corn?
Baby corn is simply the immature cob of any corn variety. However, there are specific varieties bred for baby corn. One such variety is called Chires, which I sourced from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. The great thing about this variety is that it sets numerous ears on a single plant, and each plant has two to three stalks.
How to Plant Baby Corn
I direct sowed the seeds in a bed alongside lettuce that I’ve let go to seed and fava beans, which I also left even though I’m not harvesting them anymore. The fava beans now serve as trap plants to draw bugs away from my baby corn.
Pollination: Not a Concern
With mature corn, pollination is crucial. The pollen from the tassels must rain down and pollinate the silk to produce a full cob of juicy corn. If pollination is incomplete, you end up with a cob that has only a few kernels here and there. Growing perfect corn can be challenging. However, with baby corn, you harvest it before pollination. You’re looking for the tender, edible cob before any pollination occurs.
You can even remove the tassels because they are unnecessary for baby corn. When you start seeing the silk, you can begin picking the baby corn around five to seven days after the silks appear.
Harvesting Baby Corn
The silk on baby corn might look brown, but these are actually fresh red silks. Unlike mature corn where you wait for the silks to turn brown, these red silks are natural. To harvest, peel back the leaves and twist the ear away from the stem without cutting the entire top of the plant.
Cooking Baby Corn
Baby corn from this variety is quite flavorful, even more so than sweet corn. I love to sauté it. One of my favorite ways to enjoy baby corn is similar to Mexican street corn. Sauté the baby corn in oil until they are golden and crisp, then add cheese. They are delicious!
Growing Tips and Troubleshooting
I direct sowed the seeds in mid-May and used drip irrigation to keep them well-watered. I didn’t need to feed them as I follow a no-dig system, adding compost on top of my beds each season. This was enough for the corn.
This variety doesn’t grow too tall, which means you don’t have to worry about wind issues or the plants falling over. Early in the growth stage, I noticed earwigs in the joints where the leaves meet the central stalk. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth in those joints took care of the problem quickly.
Conclusion
Growing baby corn is straightforward and rewarding. You get multiple yields without the hassle of worrying about pollination or pest problems. Plus, it’s a versatile vegetable that can be sautéed and enjoyed in various delicious ways. Happy gardening!
