Harvesting Sweet Corn

By Katie Peikes

After a busy summer season, sweet corn harvest is beginning to slow down across Delaware.

The popular crop’s harvest typically starts at the end of June and runs through early October.

Sweet corn is one of the largest vegetable crops in Delaware, occupying more acres than most other vegetable crops, said Emmalea Ernest, an extension fruit and vegetable specialist with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. 

“If you’re going to have a farm stand, you almost have to be selling sweet corn,” Ernest said. “It’s sort of an expected product.”

One of Ernest’s areas of focus is testing numerous varieties of sweet corn to see how well they fare against different environmental pressures and how well they yield. Seed companies often develop new varieties and take older varieties off the market, and Ernest gives recommendations to farmers on which varieties to grow. 

“Most varieties grow great under ideal conditions,” Ernest said, “but it is also important to identify varieties that perform well under stressful conditions like heat, excessive rain or drought.”