Sir Wombat - Popping Corn?

Boots · Post: # 45793Post **Boots** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 6:36 pm

Do you get Popping corn seeds down there?

Just found a couple of cobs, and wondered if you might want one?

Wombat · Post: # 45843Post **Wombat** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:29 am

Mate!

That would be great, thanks Boots!

I haven't seen popping corn seed (real seed) for years, and I have never grown it!

Nev

Boots · Post: # 45878Post **Boots** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:41 am

Righto - will get a cob on the way. I'd never seen it AT ALL until a couple of years ago, and was quite amazed when I realised how popping corn was actually grown! [insert blonde bubble head emoticon] Guess I had never actually stopped to think about where it came from...

Chickpea · Post: # 45891Post **Chickpea** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:15 pm

[brunette bubble head] How is it grown then? I always assumed it was the same maize as sweetcorn but with the kernels dried.

Wombat · Post: # 45977Post **Wombat** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:51 am

Yep! Me too!

Nev

Boots · Post: # 46011Post **Boots** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:41 am

Popping corn is different to sweet corn. If you look at your popping corn kernels you'll see they are round and sweet corn has a square base where it connects to the cob, whether dry or fresh. So Popping corn is grown 'special like... in a crop of its own, cos you don't want them cross pollinating and messing with your popcorn strains.

You can pop popcorn straight off the cob in a microwave apparently, but I'm ol fashioned... or maybe just a scaredy cat.

hedgewizard · Sun Jan 14, 2007 11:53 am

I read that corn cross-pollinates VERY readily, and the isolation distance is 1km! This means that unless you're very remote and growing only one variety, you're likely to get lots of rogues.

(insert anti GM comments here)

Magpie · Post: # 46258Post **Magpie** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:40 pm

Can't you just plant shop-bought popping corn?

Shirley · Post: # 46264Post **Shirley** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:20 pm

Every time I see this thread it makes me think that Wombat has just been knighted....

.....arise.. Sir Wombat Popping-corn! :blackknight:

hedgewizard · Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:25 pm

Magpie wrote:Can't you just plant shop-bought popping corn?

I have no idea, but I'd guess that the shop-bought stuff is either a) a hybrid that won't grow true, or b) heat-treated to store for longer, or c) both. There's no harm in trying, though!

For myself, there's Moles seed catalogue which sells larger quantities of seed. For Ã‚Â£2.50 each last year I bought 50g each of two varieties which is more corn seed than I'll need in 3 years.

Wombat · Post: # 46275Post **Wombat** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:40 am

Shirlz2005 wrote:Every time I see this thread it makes me think that Wombat has just been knighted....

.....arise.. Sir Wombat Popping-corn!

OK Shirl, you've cracked my up big-time!