Unfortunately, I did not plant enough of this to sell fresh sweet corn this year, but I did grow enough for my family to sample it and to sell seeds for you to grow in your own garden. This is Aunt Mary’s Sweet Corn, said to have come from a single farm in Darby Plains (in Prairie Township), Ohio, just outside the west outerbelt of Columbus. It is believed to have been bred there for over 100 years, leading to speculation that it may have originally been grown by Native Americans. It should go without saying, then, that this variety is extremely well adapted to our locale. If you’re looking for a variety of sweet corn you can trust to do well in the Columbus area, you’ve found it.
These were from the first row I planted, so they were on the outside of the plot. I expect this accounts for the poor pollination on some of the ears. These will be the only ears I pick for eating. I just wanted to sample the flavor. The rest of them I will leave on the ear to mature and dry for seed before picking them and packing the seed to sell.
I should add that this was grown in a far-from-ideal spot. It was partly shaded by large trees overhead, weeded only once in a while, and watered maybe three times in addition to getting rained on. I added no fertilizer, aside from what may have already been in the soil from when I had chickens on that spot eight years ago. Overall, and especially compared to other varieties of sweet corn I’ve tried growing in Columbus, I’d say this one performed exceptionally well. No lodging, not a trace of smut, no bugs or worms. This is pretty, tasty corn with a history that connects you to the land.
