The Best Corn Seeds for Home Gardeners

Golden Cross Bantam

• Golden Cross Bantam, a reliable older garden variety of corn, is a mid-season yellow corn. It can be sown directly into the ground in the late spring, after the last frost. It matures in 85 days. The ears of Golden Cross Bantam are 7 to 8 inches long, and its kernels are sweet and tender.

Butter and Sugar

• Butter and Sugar is a bi-color sweet corn that is popular among home gardeners. It is a mid-season variety that matures in 75 days. The seeds can be planted directly in the ground after the last frost in spring. Butter and Sugar produces ears that are approximately 7 inches long, with kernels that are sweet and plump. It is best if eaten the same day it is picked.

Peaches and Cream

• Considered a gourmet variety, Peaches and Cream, a bi-color hybrid sweet corn, is a mid-season variety suitable for the home garden. It matures in 83 days, producing 8-inch long ears with an exceptionally sweet flavor. This is an excellent variety of corn to grill with the husks left on, and also makes a tasty creamed corn.

Jubilee Supersweet

• Jubilee Supersweet is a hybrid yellow corn that combines the ear shape of "Golden Jubilee" with the sweetness of a "Supersweet." It matures in 84 days, bearing ears that are 8 to 9 inches long. It has a very sweet flavor, as well as a good eating quality, making it a popular choice for the home garden.

Silver Queen

• According to the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension, Silver Queen is considered the standard of white corn varieties. (See Reference 3) It is one of the most popular sweet corn varieties in America, and is an excellent choice for the home garden, due to its outstanding eating quality. The ears of Silver Queen are 8 inches long, with plump and tender kernels. A late-season varsity, it matures in 93 days.