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Double Red Sweet Corn
88-95 days to harvest
Zea mays
If brilliantly diverse, delectable and unusual vegetables nourish you beyond calories, you will delight in the beauty and bounty of Double Red Sweet Corn! Anthocyanin-rich burgundy hues streak the leaves, husks, silks and certainly the tender kernels with varying textures, some cobs remarkably creamy and others more crunchy. Double Red is a corn of ‘traditional’ rather than ‘modern’ sweetness, so expect a sumptuous combination of rich corn flavor with sweetness, rather than the sticky sugar sweetness of so many modern varieties.
Double Red is a gift from the extraordinary Dr. Alan Kapuler (aka Mushroom) of Peace Seeds, who has developed new varieties on his small organic farm in Oregon for decades. As the Hudson Valley Seed Company so beautifully says, “his work with this corn, of course, builds on centuries of selection done by indigenous people of the Americas. Our gardens are continuations not just of plant genetics, but of history. Step into this legacy with gratitude, care, and reverence: you are, through your garden, carrying on the work of countless ancestors.”
Organic Double Red Sweet Corn
Planting Method: Direct Sow Only
When to sow: Once soil temperatures are at least 65°F (mid-May to mid June) — seeds will rot in cooler temps. Successively plant every 1-2 weeks to extend your harvest window.
Sowing and seedling care: Sow 6” apart (or 2 every 12”), and watch out for crows who like to eat germinating corn! For well-filled ears, sow in blocks rather than rows.
Seed Depth: 3/4 – 1 inch Sun Needs: Full
Days to Germination: 4-7 days at 75°F; 10 at 65°F
Spacing after thinning: 12 inches; rows 30-36″ apart
Days to Harvest: 88-95
Height: 6 feet
Harvest: Harvest when ear silks are dry & brown, 18-24 days past silk emergence.
Direct Seed: Crows often eat germinating corn! Sow 6” apart (or 2 every 12”) thinning to 1 per foot, rows 30-36” apart. For well-filled ears, sow in blocks rather than rows. Successively plant every 1-2 weeks through early summer. Harvest when ear silks are dry & brown, 18-24 days past silk emergence.
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Pat (verified owner) –
Beautiful dark red! I planted only six plants as an impulse, in a non-ideal location, so I had the expected sparse pollination. But this resulted in big round ruby kernels that I cut off the cob individually because they were so pretty. All of mine were very dark red. The taste was really a revelation- it tastes like a delicious vegetable rather than super-sweet. Will definitely grow more next year!