DATE:   8/21/97
WRITER: David W. Bradshaw, (864) 656-4949

Popcorn: A Harvest Specialty

     CLEMSON -- Popcorn is one of the most delightful and
relatively carefree crops which can be grown in a home vegetable
garden. I say carefree because I never spray with pesticides and
still, I can produce healthy vigorous plants with few insects.
     The first key to success is in planting popcorn early! I
tread that thin line between planting early enough for a long
growing season but late enough to miss the last late frost in
April.
     The second key to success is nutrition and water. Corn is a
heavy feeder and requires a lot of moisture at the time the ears
are in full silk. If you meet these criteria, you should be
delighted with an abundant harvest.
     Popcorn should be harvested soon after the husks have turned
brown and the stalks are brown down from the top to the lower
ear. To wait longer invites weevil infestation. Pull back the
shucks, tie three ears in a bundle, and string bundles in a long
chain to hang in a dry airy place for storage.
     Knowing just when to shell the popcorn is a matter of time 
and experimentation and varies with how humid the season might
be. If the kernels are difficult to remove from the cob, most 
likely they are not sufficiently dry.
     When the kernels can be easily shelled, try a test popping.
Kernels too moist will simply crack open and spew out partially
popped. Properly dried kernels will pop explosively and be large
and fluffy, often much larger than commercial popcorn, which may
be too dry for best quality. At this time the entire crop should
be shelled and stored in a sealed container in the freezer.
     I have discovered that popcorn can be stored in the freezer
for years and will retain this optimum moisture and seems to pop
more completely than that stored at room temperature. It also
retains a much fresher taste -- popcorn can actually attain a
somewhat stale flavor if stored too long at room temperature.
I think that is why I enjoy my home grown popcorn so much better
than commercial popcorn.
     Over  the years I have experimented with a number of
varieties of popcorn. My favorite for taste and popping quality
would be the South American hybrid varieties. These will grow
quite tall and vigorously, and produce a large volume of kernels.
One year we put eight gallons of shelled popcorn in the freezer
and still gave out before the next harvest.
     Another type of popcorn that is one of my favorites is the
multicolored ornamental popcorn. Sometimes referred to as Indian
popcorn, these multicolored varieties may come in both
normal sizes and in delicate miniature sizes. Both types are 
quite colorful, with combinations of red, yellow, orange, green,
blue, gray, and purple all speckled together on one individual
ear. Ornamental popcorn can be attractively displayed during the
Halloween and Thanksgiving seasons and then popped for nutritious
snacks later. Popcorn is high in fiber and protein, and is
considered a health food when served without excessive amounts of
butter and salt.
     If gardening space is limiting, there are a number of
miniature popcorns available which are decorative but also pop
quite nicely. One heirloom variety which I have grown
for most of my life is the little strawberry popcorn. The little
ears are much like oval shaped golfballs with tiny grains of a
deep burgundy color; sometimes also white varieties can be found. 
     Another miniature variety has longer tapered ears which may
only be four to five inches long and about the diameter of your
thumb. These varieties come in all yellow, all white, or even in
multicolored Indian popcorn. I have seen them braided together in
very attractive displays on doors, in country kitchens, and 
as table centerpieces. These creative displays often command
premium prices when sold in craft shows and at farmers markets. I
have known of youth groups which grew ornamental popcorn as a
fundraising project to support youth activities.
     Whatever your reason might be for growing popcorn, I
encourage you to give it a try. If you ever eat popcorn that you 
have grown for yourself, you will never want to settle for buying
popcorn again.        
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     If you have gardening questions or comments, write to
Agricultural News & Publications, A-101 Poole Agricultural
Center, Box 340311, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29634-0311.
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