How to Not Cross-Pollinate Sweet Corn and Popcorn
- 1). Look at the backs of both the sweet corn and popcorn seed packets. Most packets will have a map indicating your garden zone that corresponds to a chart which indicates when you can plant the seeds for your region. If this chart is not on the packet, this information can easily be found online, at websites such as Mother Earth News (see Resources) or from your local garden supply store.
- 2). Find how long it takes to mature for both varieties of corn. Again, this is usually on the back of your seed packet, but can also be obtained from your local garden supply source.
- 3). Use the planting times and days to maturity to stagger the times of maturity between both varieties by at least one month. This means that your sweet corn and popcorn will not pollinate at the same time. For example, if sweet corn in your area can be planted between March and May with 75 days to mature, and popcorn can be sown between April and June with 90 days until maturation, you may try planting sweet corn in early March and popcorn in mid-May. Then, you can harvest your sweet corn in mid-June before the popcorn begins to pollinate.