Nebraska is one of the largest popcorn-producing states in the country, both in farms and home gardens. For gardens, an open-pollinated variety like Strawberry or Tom Thumb is best. If you want the tenderest popped kernels, get a hybrid like White Cloud. Don't mix different varieties if you want to save seed, since the plants won't breed true if they hybridize. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Till or cultivate a seedbed with fertile, nitrogen-rich soil using a rototiller or by breaking the soil up and mixing it by hand with a cultivator when soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Locate the seedbed in full sun. In most parts of Nebraska, full-sun days occur in mid-May.
2. Plant two popcorn kernels, buried 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep, in a small hole made by poking your thumb or finger into the seedbed. Make a new hole with two popcorn kernels every 7 inches along a straight row. Plant at least four parallel rows to increase pollination.
3. Thin the plants after they emerge, which typically happens in one to two weeks. To thin the corn, pull or pinch off smaller and weaker plants, leaving one healthy plant every 14 inches.
4. Mulch around the young corn plants to discourage weeds by spreading grass clippings, straw or wood chips at least 2 inches deep beside and between the plants. Hoe or pull any weeds that do emerge.
5. Water weekly when rainfall for the week totals less then 1 inch. Fertilize with compost when the sprouts are a week old, and again when they reach 18 inches of height.
6. Pollinate the plants by hand for more complete kernel growth. To pollinate by hand, gently shake each plant once the tassels open, so that pollen from the tassels falls onto the silks on the immature ears below.
7. Harvest the ears of popcorn when the husks are brown and dry, and the kernels come loose from the ear when you rub them firmly with your thumb. You can store popcorn on the cob and shell it as needed, or shell it all at harvest time and store it in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.
Tags: every inches, popcorn kernels, your thumb