Saving Corn for Seed

Decorative Stuff

Corn is a very simple crop to save seed from.  Just be sure you know what makes for good corn seed.

  1. Open pollinated variety
  2. You need to have your corn 1000 feet away from other varieties if yoy want to produce the same kind of corn next year. Corn is wind pollinated and will cross with other kinds.
  3. Try to save the best ears on the best stalks for seed.  The best seed will grow the best plants next year.

Now that we have the hard all done, we can collect the seed.  Leave the corn on the stalks until they die back.  Mine died when we had a lught frost.  The husk protects the seeds from harm if it’s only a light frost. Gather the ears of cornoff the stalks and then open the corn husks and hang to dry.

Bloody butcher corn, hanging to dry

Once the corn is dry, store in a cool dark place.  You can store it on the cob or pop it off.  That’s it. II leave it on the cob and leave it hanging as an autumn decoration.

Dry bloody butcher corn

If you want to check to see if the seeds are viable, you can putta few of the seeds on a wet paper towel in a plastic bag.  Give it a week to germinate.  If none of them sprout, the seeds may not be any good.  I would run the test again to be sure before seeds head for the compost pile.

I will be swapping this corn seed in the upcoming seed swap!

Check these links for more info:

Permies

Mother Earth News

Home Guides SFGate

 

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