To avoid isolation, different types of corn can be planted close together as long as their maturity dates have a difference of at least 7 days. This way, when one variety is shedding pollen, the other variety will not be receptive to pollen. - as soon as the cobs are harvested, the sugars in the kernels quickly convert to starches. This produces a less sweet product. To ensure maximum sweetness, cobs should be immersed in ice cold water as soon as possible after picking, and left in the water until eaten. Shade from hot sun as much as possible.
Many homeowners take pails of water and ice out to the garden when harvesting corn.
Due to consumer demand, plant breeders over the past decade have significantly improved the quality of sweet corn. Numerous types of sweet corn are now available to homeowners, and it is important to know about these types in order to obtain maximum quality. Varieties have varying degrees of sweetness, but unfortunately the sugars convert to starches after harvest quite quickly. A new group of normal sweet corn called 'All Sweets' is much sweeter than the average for this type. This type is most prized for its very tender kernels that are easy to chew.