How To Grow Glass Gem Rainbow Corn
How To Grow Glass Gem Rainbow Corn
Glass gem rainbow corn is an ornamental corn that was bred by Oklahoma farmer Carl Barnes in 1940.
All variations of this corn are uniquely beautiful, some pastel rainbows colours, others different shades of blue.
- The glass gem corn seeds can be sown Spring to early Summer. Glass gem corn are heavy feeders, so before planting, prepping the soil with nutrient rich compost is essential.
- After you have prepped your soil for planting, the seeds prefer to be sown direct, 2cm deep, but if raising seedlings in the greenhouse then it is best to use single cell punnets to avoid the roots becoming inter-twinned and reduce the chance of transplant shock. Germination will occur in 7-14 days @ 17-32 degrees.
- Plant in 4-6 rows, this will make it easier for the corn to pollinate each other.
- When planting the corn seed or seedlings, it is important to make sure no other varieties of corn are planted near by, as corn can cross pollinate and this may result in producing not a true rainbow corn.
- Water deeply, before established corn are heavy drinkers, so best to water well in the mornings. A light mulch over the top of the soil will help retain moisture and keep the weeds at bay.
- The corn will be ready to harvest when the tassels on the end of the corn have turned brown, the stalks are dry and cobs are already dried on the plant, this takes around 120 days.
Once harvested, they can be stripped and hung upside down to dry for a month. The kernels of the corn can be made into popcorn or ground down to make maize, or simple hung up as a feature in the kitchen!
Shop Glass Gem Corn Seeds here.
