Zea, Sweet Corn, Blue Jade Dwarf ~ 50 seeds

With roots as a wild grass, corn is now the world's most-produced grain and is one of the planet's most genetically engineered crops. But none of corn's modern transformations compare to the breeding work of native communities in Mexico. These early farmers connected with Teosinte, corn's ancestor, and guided the plant into producing an essential and sustaining food. Blue Jade is a delicious expression of more recent selection or dwarf habit, blue kernels at the fresh-eating stage, and sweetness.

Not only does Blue Jade exemplify the diversity of open-pollinated seeds, but it's also one of the best open-pollinated sweet corns we have tasted. The kernels turn from white to steel blue when ripe, and turn a bit greener when cooked. Each dwarf plant yields about 2 ears about half the size of a standard ear of sweet corn.

Growing Instructions
Direct sow outdoors after the threat of frost has passed and succession sow until mid-summer. Sow 3-4" apart, in rows spaced 36" apart in blocks of at least 4 rows to insure proper pollination for kernel formation. Thin plants to indicated spacing if necessary. Corn requires fertile soil and little attention. Water during dry periods. Harvest when ears are full and kernels are swollen and milky. Take care not to let ears over-ripen. Blue Jade can be grown in large containers: sow clusters of 3 seeds spaced 12" apart. 

Quick Facts
Days to Germination: 7-14
Days to Maturity: 75 days
Planting Depth: 1"
Spacing in Row: 8"
Spacing Between Rows: 36"
Height at Maturity: 48"
Width at Maturity: 8"
Sun Preference: Full Sun

About the Artist
Artwork by Daniel Baxter. His pen-and-ink illustration suggests the centrality of corn to Mexico's history and people. The husk of his corn cob is the mapped territory itself, and the crop reaches from the Pacific to the Gulf: a true testament to the importance of maize.