Sweet Corn
Golden Bantam Corn is a classic sweet corn variety that matures in 85 days and delivers the kind of garden-fresh flavor that made corn a summer staple for generations. This cultivar thrives in full sun with moderate watering, spacing just 4 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart, making it surprisingly efficient for small and large gardens alike. The variety earned its place in seed catalogs and kitchen gardens through reliable production and genuine sweetness, the kind that matters most when you're harvesting at peak ripeness and cooking within hours.
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Moderate
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Golden Bantam represents straightforward corn growing at its best. It reaches harvest readiness in a predictable 85 days, making it easy to plan succession plantings through the season. The variety rewards attentive harvesting: ears picked at exactly the right moment, when kernels are full and milky, deliver genuine sweetness that deteriorates quickly if left too long on the stalk. This is not a supersweet hybrid that stays sugary for weeks; Golden Bantam demands you harvest at peak and cook promptly, a small price for authentic corn flavor.
Golden Bantam is grown for fresh eating off the cob, the primary way to experience its flavor at its best. The ears are also suitable for cooking, boiling, or grilling. Because this variety turns starchy quickly after harvest, especially in warm weather, it's ideally suited to home gardeners who can pick and prepare corn the same day, rather than varieties bred for long-distance shipping and storage.
You can start seeds indoors 2 to 3 weeks before your desired transplant date. Avoid letting seedlings become root bound and take care not to damage roots when transplanting, as corn is sensitive to root disturbance.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they are established and the soil has warmed sufficiently for corn growth. Handle roots gently during the transplanting process to minimize stress.
For direct sowing, prepare row furrows about 6 to 8 inches deep. Spread 3 to 5 pounds of complete fertilizer per 100 square feet along the furrow bottom, then backfill with soil or sifted compost. Sow seeds directly into the prepared furrow and cover with soil or compost. Days to maturity are calculated from the date of direct seeding.
Check ears frequently during the harvest window, ideally daily if temperatures are above 85°F, as flavor loss accelerates in heat. Harvest when kernels are full and milky in appearance and the ear tips are blunt or rounded rather than pointed. The drying and browning of ear silks is also a reliable indicator of maturity. Remove ears by pulling them downward and twisting them from the stalk. Cool harvested ears as quickly as possible and store them promptly at 36°F.
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