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Growing Unusual Corn

Native Americans were growing corn when the settlers arrived. It was similar to the decorative Indian corn sold to hang on the front door in the fall.

According to Anne Miller of Marshfield, Vermont, Native American corn is not for eating fresh off the cob because the outer covering is very tough. It must be allowed to dry and then ground to corn flour or made into hominy. She grows two large patches of heirloom corn each year for her own consumption, and to share with others who are interested in growing heirloom varieties. She supplies seed to the Seed Savers Exchange (www.seedsavers.org or 563-382-5990).

Anne plants her heirloom corn in hills. She plants 4-5 seeds in a 12-inch circles spaced four feet apart. Then, when the corn is up a foot or two, she uses a hoe to hill up the corn with soil. This helps to support it, so that it doesn't blow over in storms. Native Americans often grew beans up the corn, planting the beans after the corn had been hilled. The beans are nitrogen-fixers, providing nitrogen to the soil.

Roy's Calais flint corn is one of Vermont's heirloom corns. It was grown by the Abenaki Indians, and was the only corn variety that survived the snows of June and hard freezes of July, 1816. It was grown by a family in Calais, Vermont since shortly after the Civil War, but was nearly lost to the world. A jar of seed that was 10 years old was found and planted in recent years, and has been widely shared. It is suited for cold wet soils in spring and early frosts.

While modern corn is harvested after 70-85 days, most of the Native American varieties take longer, typically over 100 days. But Roy's Calais Flint can be harvested in as little as 85 days. It was first made commercially available by Vermont's own organic seed company, High Mowing Seeds (802-888-1800 or www.highmowingseeds.com).

Nate Smith, a teenager in Cabot, Vermont, often grows Roy's Calais flint corn which his family grinds and uses for cooking. They use a Grain Master electric grinder for the flint corn, and for wheat. That machine costs about $300, however, which is enough to deter me from buying one. Most flint corn is too hard to crack using a mortar and pestle.

Hominy is an alternative to grinding. Anne Miller makes it by putting a gallon of seed into a large pot, covering it with water, and boiling it with a cup or two of her own wood ashes. She uses ashes made from wood only, no paper. The ashes create lye, which breaks down the tough cell walls. She boils the mixture for a couple of hours, then goes through the laborious process of washing the corn and rubbing it between her fingers to remove the outer layer. She then stores it by drying or freezing it.

This spring Rick Melloh of Cornish, N.H., bought a packet of broom corn seeds at the general store and planted a small patch to see what he'd get. Much to his surprise,it grew to be nearly 11 feet tall, producing enough to make more brooms than he'd use in a lifetime. He also discovered that broom corn is not really corn, but sorghum, a grain crop that is grown for bird food - and to make old fashioned brooms.

Brooms are made from the stiff "straws" that hold the seeds of broom corn at the top of a long stalk. Each straw has a few dozen seeds attached in groups of three at the tip of the straw. Although I was able to strip off the seeds with my thumb and forefinger, it would be a time consuming procedure to get enough straw cleaned to make even a whisk broom.

I tried my own experiment with corn this year. I ordered seeds for those miniature ears sometimes used in Chinese cooking. From Johnny's Select Seeds I ordered a variety called "Robust" and planted it according to their recommendations: 2-4 inches apart. It grew, and I picked early as recommended, but in the end, I wondered why I'd bothered. I just did a small patch and never had enough at any time for a respectable stir fry. It was so tender that sometimes I ate it cobs and all - right in the garden. But for the garden space used, the food produced was minimal.

I might try growing some heirloom corn next year. It's much less fussy than its modern relatives, according to Anne Miller. She explained that northern Plains Indians often would plant their corn, then leave for months to hunt buffalo. It was planted without fertilizers, given no water other than rain, and was not weeded. It sounds like a perfect crop for busy modern families. No weeding? Sounds good to me. It'll give me more time to look for buffalo - or just goof off.

Henry Homeyer is the author of "Notes from the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardener." Write him at P.O. Box 364, Cornish Flat, N.H. 03746; send e-mail to gardening.guy@valley.net; his Web site is gardening-guy.com.