The popcorn is growing very well. I can’t wait to pop it on the stove top and eat a huge bowl, but it still has a lot of growing before that happens. This past week the tassels started to appear.
Corn produces individual male and female flowers on the same plant. The tassel represents the male flower of the corn plant. The ears, the female flower, have not appeared yet but they will be here soon.
This year I planted Dakota Black which produces mahogany colored kernels and pops white. As well as Pennsylvania Dutch Butter which produces pale yellow kernels and pops yellow. I am also experimenting with growing out seed of 5 different popcorn varieties that I obtained from the USDA seed bank. If this experiment is successful I hope to have at least 1 new variety to grow out in the field in 2016. I am expecting to have this year’s crop of popcorn available for sale in late October both at the farmers’ market and online.