[MoreWhisky]

Ive allocated 1.5m x 2m area on my plot to grow a block of sweetcorn.

I wanted to buy some Sundance sweetcorn but the suppliers i checked didnt have none left so i bought Thompson & Morgan Extra Tender & Sweet F1 Hybrid they are now in pots.

Now tonight i was out and saw some F1 sundance seeds i wanted so bought them.

So what i would like to know is can i do half and half or will that cause a cross polination issue?

And if im best sticking to one type anyone know whats the best out of the 2?

Cheers MW.

[Trillium]

Hybrid corn (F1's) will never come true to seed anyway so its not a problem if you even plant them close in the same area. Just leave a few feet between the varieties so that the tassels can't touch the other variety, which is how corn is pollinated (by wind) and you're fine. If you plan to keep seeds, forget it. Genetics will revert to the original 2 parent plants.

[MoreWhisky]

Thanks Trillium will go ahead an plant half and half then 

just one question what would happen if the tassles touch?

[RichardA]

In my opinion sensible thing is to keep safe (dry and cool place such as fridge door) the newest seeds and only use the ones already opened that you first bought. But gardening is about doing the odd experimental thing so do as you feel is right - one packet of seeds is no big deal. Technically though if cross pollination occurs the quality of the seed you eat as the crop could be less than the breeder intended (might be better of course) and the seeds if kept for next year will not come true as the F1 advantage will be lost.
I have three blocks and seperate my sweetcorn varieties by about 20 metres each time so dont know if I over the top or being correct in that.
R

[MoreWhisky]

Ah i see i should have waitied for more replys.

Dont normally get conflicting advice on this forum lmao.

Thanks RichardA for your reply will await more with intrest .

[mumofstig]

This has all been discussed recently look here
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=35402.msg423576#msg423576

[Trillium]

Don't worry if the tassels touch. It would make only a few kernels taste slightly different and you'd notice only if you eat it fresh with no seasonings and you have an extremely sensitive sense of taste. If you separate the varieties by a few feet or say, on the each side of the bean row, it's far enough apart to keep the tastes individual, which in truth can sometimes be hard to differentiate.
Keeping the seeds of F1 hybrids is simply not worthwhile as 2 specific parents have been used to create a 3rd variety, which cannot be repeated as you'd need both the parent cross plants and that's impossible as only pollen from one plant can be used. Best to simply buy new seeds each year of the hybrid you like. Only open pollinated plants can create almost identical seeds to the harvest plant. Little in the plant world is absolute.

[Kristen]

I would check the instructions on the packet. My F1 "Super Sweet" Sweetcorn says not to plant any other varieties any closer than 8M !! because cross pollination will effect the flavour.  I have read of neighbours buying seed "bulk" so that they all grow the same cariety because flavour has otherwise been compromised.

[MoreWhisky]

Having read everyones most helpfull  replys and links think i will just stick to one variety.

My choice again is Sundance F1  or  Thompson & Morgan Extra Tender & Sweet F1 Hybrid.

Anybody tried em both? if so whats best for ease of growing?

[realfood]

The T&M variety that you mention is actually "Swift" F1 and is of the "Tendersweet" type. It is available from quite a few suppliers, and I have been growing it for years with success. Interestingly, according to T&M, isolation of this variety from other sweetcorn varieties is not required.
This agrees with my own experience, but I would love to know the reason why this should be so.