Zea mays (72 days) Open-pollinated. A composite of early varieties originally developed by the late Fred Ashworth of St. Lawrence Nurseries and marketed by Johnny’s Selected Seeds starting in 1978. According to legend, Ashworth originally named his variety “Rat Selected” in honor of the rodents who broke into his seed storage room and alerted him to certain kernels that they preferred. Its short (about 5') stalks have 6–7" yellow 12-row ears with good flavor. Be sure to harvest it at peak milk stage—like much open-pollinated corn it does not hold quality for long in the field. Germinates well in cool soil. ①
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This item is certified organic
516
Ashworth
- Organic
Additional Information
Sweet Corn at a Glance
variety
days
color
type (see below)
height
ear length
# rows
506
Cafe
68
yellow
Synergistic
60-72"
8"
14-16
516
Ashworth OP
72
yellow
Normal Sugary
60"
6-7"
12
541
Bodacious RM
77
yellow
Sugary Enhanced
87"
8"
18
561
Incredible RM
85
yellow
Sugary Enhanced
90"
8"
18
572
Latte
68
bicolor
Synergistic
48-72"
8"
14
574
Espresso
70
bicolor
Synergistic
72"
6"
12-16
582
Ambrosia
75
bicolor
Sugary Enhanced
78"
8"
16
590
Cappuccino
78
bicolor
Synergistic
72-84"
8"
14-16
592
Sparkler
78
bicolor
Synergistic
84"
8-9"
16-18
636
Luther Hill OP
82
white
Normal Sugary
48"
3-6"
12
660
Nirvana
75
bicolor
Supersweet
83"
8"
16-18
595
Moonshine
78
yellow
Supersweet
84"
8"
16-18
Types of sweet corn
Normal Sugary (su): standard varieties with traditional sweet corn texture & flavor. Sugar converts to starch quickly, so eat them within a few days. Tend to have high yields and germinate well in cool soils.
Sugary Enhanced (se): more sugar than su, tender kernels & slightly longer storage time. The * indicates heterozygous (only one parent contributes the se gene); all others are homozygous (both parents se).
Supersweet (sh2): 4 to 10 times the sugar content of su and se. Conversion of sugar to starch occurs at a much slower rate. Stays sweet long after harvest. Extra shriveled seed does not germinate well in cool soil.
Synergistic: more sugar than se. Very tender with long harvest and storage windows. Can be homozygous or heterozygous se with added sh2 kernels.
TripleSweet® Sugary Enhanced: has homozygous se kernels, and 25% of these also contain the sh2 trait.
Corn
About 85–200 seeds/oz. Seeds per packet vary.
Open-pollinated selections average 100 seeds/oz
Normal sugary varieties 140 seeds/oz
SE cultivars with shrunken seeds 150-160 seeds/oz
Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing; for transplants, subtract 20 days.
Culture: Untreated sweet corn seed will not germinate in cold wet soil. Please be patient and wait till soil warms to at least 60° before sowing, or start seedlings indoors and transplant at 3–6" before taproots take off. Minimum soil temperature 55°, optimal temperature range 65–85°. Tender, will not survive frost. Heavy nitrogen requirements.
Germination Testing
For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.
Our Seeds are Non-GMO
All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.
This item is certified organic