I'm just harvesting the last of my popcorn ears at the end of summer.
This is my first time growing popcorn (using cheap supermarket product).
I'm quite pleased with how easy it grows and it's hardiness.
Germination rates were extremely good.
The plants were Swamped with
ants and aphids as flowering began, but it didn't interfere with ear production.
One to two quite small ears per plant, plants short 2-3ft.
Not using up as much soil goodness as more voracious crops.
The thin stems of popcorn were easy to chop and drop, quick to break down.
My favorite aspect is that the lone plants I grew far from the main block of plants still had reasonable pollination rates.
Maybe I got lucky with self pollination, but when I grow a lone sweet corn, it does not get pollinated much at all.
Popcorn tastes ok fresh and good when cooked - it is slightly mealy compared to sweetcorn, but I like the chewiness.
I think it's unfair to say popcorn is not at all sweet. It's sweet
enough when fresh. Sweetcorn can border on being too sweet.
Totally immature cobs still taste alright, as long as they are fertilised. Even without showing a hint of yellow!
Finally, like most grains, you can chew the cut stems for a bit of sugary taste - chop n suck n drop.
I tried growing cowpeas through the corn, but the corn was too dense to allow the cowpea to do well.
Planting was a little dense, but I'm pleased with the harvest from a small space.
I think I could've planted months earlier, still getting used to the corn photoperiod signalling.
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