Planting, Growing and Harvesting Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is an annual with yellow, white, and bi-colored ears. A long, frost-free growing season is necessary after planting. Sweet corn is wind-pollinated, so it should be planted in blocks, rather than in single rows. Early, mid, and late-season varieties extend the harvest. If you miss the optimal harvest time, corn will go downhill fast as sugars convert to starch.

Planting
Corn is picky about its soil. Work in aged manure or compost the fall before planting and let over winter in the soil.
Starting seeds indoors is not recommended.
Plant seeds outdoors two weeks after the last spring frost date.
Make sure soil temperature is above 60 degrees for successful germination. (Up to 65 for super sweet varieties.) In colder zones, the ground can be warmed by a black plastic cover if necessary. Plant seeds through holes.
Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 4 to 6 inches apart. Space rows 30 to 36 inches apart.
Thin new plants to 8 to 12 inches apart when they grow to 4 inches tall.
For sufficient pollination, plan your plot right. Don’t plant two long rows, rather, plant corn blocks of at least four rows.
You may choose to fertilize at planting time, corn is meant to grow rapidly. If you are confident that the soil is adequate, this can be skipped.
Water well at planting time.

Care
Be careful not to damage the roots when weeding.
Soil must be well drained and able to keep consistent moisture.
In dry conditions, be sure to keep corn well watered due to its shallow roots. Water at a rate of 5 gallons per sq yard. Mulch helps reduce evaporation.
When the plants are 4 to 5 inches tall, thin them to stand 16 to 23 inches apart.

Harvest/Storage
Harvest when tassels begin to turn brown and cobs start to swell. Kernels should be full and milky.
Pull ears downward and twist to take off stalk.
Sweet corn varieties lose their sweetness soon after harvesting.
Prepare for eating or preserving immediately after picking.
Sweet corn freezes well, especially if removed from ears before freezing.

Recommended Varieties
There are three types of sweet corn: Normal, sugar enhanced and super sweet. Each one contains a different level of sucrose, changing the flavor and texture of the corn. Sweeter varieties will stay sweeter for longer after harvest.

‘Iochief’ Midseason normal-sugar variety. Yellow.
‘Silver Queen’ normal sugar-variety. Resistant to some bacterial diseases. White.
‘Challenger Crisp n Sweet’ supersweet variety, resistant to some diseases, high yield. Yellow.
‘Pristine’ sugar enhanced variety, good taste. White.

Oat and Oatmeal Types

Oats are a major cereal grain that provides sustenance for people across the globe. Oats can be purchased in a number of different forms, the most common of which are described below.

Oat Groats
This is the whole wheat berry that has had the inedible outer chaff removed. Although the chaff has been removed, the oat bran remains intact. These whole grains are quite hard and must be soaked or cooked prior to eating.Most groats are further milled or processed to make them easier to cook and digest.

Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut into large pieces. These pieces are chewy, but flavorful and offer a variety of nutrients. Steel cut oats are popular in Ireland and are therefore also known as Irish Oats. Steel cut oats may also be referred to as "pin head" oats, referring to their milling size. Steel cut oats require approximately 30 minutes of simmering to become tender.

Rolled Oats
Rolled oats are whole oat groats that have been been rolled flat, steam treated, and then toasted. Steam treating the oats makes them more shelf stable and faster cooking, while toasting adds to flavor. Some rolled oats keep the bran intact, while others have it removed.Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - Old-fashioned rolled oats are larger, thicker pieces and require one to three minutes cooking time.

Quick Cooking Rolled Oats - Quick cooking rolled oates are smaller, thinner pieces that rehydrate quickly and only require about 60 seconds of cooking time.

Oat Bran
Oat bran is the outer coating of the grain (not to be confused with the inedible chaff) that contains high amounts of fiber and essential fatty acids. Because fatty acids can go rancid, the bran is often removed to make oats more shelf stable. Bran can also be purchased separately from the grain and used as a food additive to increase nutritional content and texture appeal to food.

Oat Flour
When whole oat groats are ground into a powder, they become oat flour. Oat flour can be used similarly to other grain flours, including wheat, to make bread and other products. The bran may be left intact prior to turning the grain into flour or it may be removed.