[lettice]

Have grown my trusty Golden Bantam for many years, but have never saved any seed. Juts been using the same seed supplier for all those years.

Has anyone tried to save sweetcorn seed and how exactly do you do it and select?

[New shoot]

Its keeping your corn so it comes true from seed that is the main factor.  I grow mine on the allotment, so too many other corn growers around to try it myself with a wind pollinated plant.

Even my seed saving book puts it into the 'too difficult' box unless you are really isolated from other growers   

[whitehill1]

Seeds are not that expencive to buy. but saving your own seed gives enough spares ..hence the best plants..  . am not still convinced to grow just one variety as I buy any on sale or get from swaps, hence multiple varieties. but I may try growing sweetcorn at home for one year and save the seed.

Give it a go.

[Salmo]

Golden Bantam is an old variety and should breed true, unlike the modern F1s that do not.

If you are growing your sweetcorn in a block then select plants in the middle for seed saving. These are very unlikely to have been contaminated by stray pollen from other varieties.

This old variety will have some variation. Select plants for seed saving. Earmark early ripening cobs from plants with good characteristics.

[victoria park]

I have saved golden bantam seed before, and always had good results., bar the odd reversed silks/tassles thing.  But I haven't saved seed in the last 3 or 4 years because I use an F1 variety now that matures quicker. I keep thinking I should go back to the bantam but my Sundance tastes so heavenly.

[lettice]

My plot is in my garden, so no other varieties near me that I know of.
Although we eat and freeze loads, have a lot more extra that work out well for a neighbourly swap crop, usually Brassicas that a few of my neighbours grow a lot of.

Yes, Golden Bantam is true and an old good one, get three cobs on almost all of them and always a few that give me four.
Always feel disappointed when some only give me two.
Do grow them in blocks and rarely have any week ones.

So you reckon to save the corns when just ripe (as if you were to eat them) to dry in a shed and then when dehydrated pick off the seed to bag up the seed for next year?

[gobs]

My plot is in my garden, so no other varieties near me that I know of.
Although we eat and freeze loads, have a lot more extra that work out well for a neighbourly swap crop, usually Brassicas that a few of my neighbours grow a lot of.

Yes, Golden Bantam is true and an old good one, get three cobs on almost all of them and always a few that give me four.
Always feel disappointed when some only give me two.
Do grow them in blocks and rarely have any week ones.

So you reckon to save the corns when just ripe (as if you were to eat them) to dry in a shed and then when dehydrated pick off the seed to bag up the seed for next year?

We eat corn at a biologically immature state. They need to be left longer, till they dry and toughen and the silk turns all dark. Then they still would dry them, hanging off the beams in a barn or such. A shed around here might be too damp and cool for this, moulds could form. I think you are better off with somewhere warmer.

[lettice]

We eat corn at a biologically immature state. They need to be left longer, till they dry and toughen and the silk turns all dark. Then they still would dry them, hanging off the beams in a barn or such. A shed around here might be too damp and cool for this, moulds could form. I think you are better off with somewhere warmer.

I will be using my potato shed, which is purpose built, nice and dark and dry.
Are you saying they need to be left longer to turn dark still in the ground before drying?

[gobs]

Yes. A few weeks later than for eating.

[lettice]

Thanks.
Be fun to try at the end of the season.