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Sweet Corn Golden Bantam - Zea Mays

Zea mays Golden Bantam
Sweet corn 'Golden Bantam'

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Strange... at home, sown directly in the ground for three weeks, nothing is sprouting...

Isabelle, 30/05/2023

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

More information

A mid-height variety that produces 1 or 2 ears on fairly tall plants (1.5 to 2m (5 to 7ft)). The cobs are yellow, 15cm (6in) long, and have large, milky, sweet, and tasty kernels. Sow from March to June for a harvest from July to October.

Ease of cultivation

Beginner

Height at maturity

2 m

Spread at maturity

35 cm

Soil moisture

Moist soil

Germination time (days)

7 days

Sowing method

Direct sowing, Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat

Sowing period March to June

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Flowering time June to September

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Harvest time July to October

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Description

Zea mays 'Golden Bantam' is a semi-early variety of sweet corn. The plants are quite tall (1.5 to 2m (5 to 7ft)) and produce 1 or 2 ears per plant. The cobs are yellow and measure 15cm (6in) in length, with large, milky, sweet, and tasty grains. The milky phase is short, and the ears should be picked without delay when they are ready. Sow from March to June for a harvest from July to October. It is a very old variety originating from the USA.

Sweet corn likes deep, light, moist, and humus-rich soils. Corn plants like a sunny exposure and need warmth. When planted on the edge of a vegetable garden, they will help to delimit the cultivation areas and provide shade for vegetables that need it (lettuce, cabbage, etc.).

Sweet corn is a natural variant of corn. It has many nutritional benefits. It is low in lipids and low in calories. It is richer in protein than rice, and five times richer in fibre. Its glycaemic index is moderate. In addition, it contains many B-group vitamins and vitamin C. It also contains many minerals and trace elements.

Harvest: sweet corn is harvested 80 to 120 days after sowing, depending on the heat and watering. Harvest when the silks start to turn brown. The grains should be fully developed but still tender. To check if they are ripe, take a few grains from an ear and crush them: they should be slightly milky. If harvested too late, the sugar turns into starch and the skin becomes tough.

Storage: after harvesting, remove the green sheath that surrounds the ear and consume it quickly. To store them for a longer period, cook them and then preserve them in jars or freeze them.

Gardener's Tip: traditionally, Native Americans cultivate corn alongside climbing beans and squash. These three plants benefit each other: nitrogen nutrition from the beans, support from the corn, and ground cover from the squash leaves. First, sow the corn. When it reaches 10cm (4in) in height, sow two bean seeds and two squash seeds around the corn.

Harvest

Harvest time July to October

Type of vegetable Seed and pod vegetable

Vegetable colour yellow

Size of vegetable Medium

Interest Productive

Flavour Sweet

Use Cooking

Plant habit

Height at maturity 2 m

Spread at maturity 35 cm

Growth rate normal

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous

Foliage colour medium green

Botanical data

Genus

Zea

Species

mays

Cultivar

Golden Bantam

Family

Poaceae

Other common names

Sweet corn 'Golden Bantam'

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Annual / Perennial

Annual

Product reference • 20181

Planting and care

Sowing sweet corn

Soak the seeds in warm water for 12 hours. Sow in full sun. In the garden, sow from April to June in warm soil (at least 12°C (53.6°F)). You can place a tunnel over early sowings until the temperatures warm up enough. You can start sowing in pots indoors as early as March, and plant them in May-June in the garden. Stagger your sowings to spread out the production period. Only sow one variety at a time, or two varieties with staggered flowering: sweet corn easily hybridises. This means you won't harvest the variety you sowed! If your garden is less than 200m (656ft) from a cornfield, you will need to protect your crop during flowering.

To sow in rows, dig furrows 3cm (1in) deep, spaced 70cm (28in) apart. Sow thinly. After germination, thin to 25 to 30cm (10 to 12in) along the row. If you are only sowing a few plants, sow them in a square rather than one or two long rows to ensure better pollination.

To sow indoors, place 2 to 3 seeds per pot in seed compost, mixed with a little compost. Then plant the best-developed seedling.

Cultivating sweet corn

Sweet corn likes rich soils. During the previous autumn, add manure or compost to the soil to enrich the area intended for sowing. The roots are shallow, so hoeing should be very superficial. To help root establishment, mound up the corn when it reaches 20cm (8in), then 40cm (16in) in height. Water regularly if it doesn't rain (once a week), and cover the soil with mulch to retain moisture (grass clippings, straw).

To facilitate pollination, shake the plant when the female flowers (located two-thirds up the stalk) turn beige. This way, the pollen from the male flower (located at the top of the stalk) will fall onto the female flowers.

The corn borer caterpillar, a destructive moth of corn, sometimes burrows into the stalks, causing them to break. As a preventive measure, shred the crop residues before using them (for compost or mulch). Practice good crop rotation by not growing corn in the same plot for 3 or 4 years. In case of a severe infestation, you can spray a solution of Bacillus thuringiensis.