VegetableCorn
Country Gentleman Corn
Shoepeg
Country Gentleman Corn is a celebrated heirloom sweet corn introduced around 1890 that brings authentic vegetable garden charm to modern growers. This open-pollinated variety grows 72-84 inches tall and reaches harvest maturity in 90-99 days, thriving across hardiness zones 2-13 in full sun. The kernels are famously tightly packed but arranged in an irregular, uneven pattern, a distinctive trait that gives this old-timer its character and sets it apart from the uniform rows of modern hybrids.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/country-gentleman-corn-seed)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Preferred Temp65-85°F
Growth Stats
84 in
Height
PeriodAnnual
TypeUpright
Spacing
10-12 inches apart in rows spaced 30-36 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-13
Size
84in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Country Gentleman's most striking feature is its "shoe peg" kernel arrangement: densely packed but delightfully irregular, creating a texture and appearance that heirloom corn enthusiasts have cherished for over 130 years. This variety tolerates heat and drought remarkably well, making it reliable even when summer conditions turn challenging. The tight, uneven kernel pattern isn't just visually interesting; it delivers the rich, authentic corn flavor that made this variety the standard by which other sweet corns were judged in the late 1800s.
Common Uses
Country Gentleman corn is grown primarily for fresh eating, either boiled, grilled, or roasted on the cob. The distinctive kernel arrangement makes the kernels easy to remove from the cob, and the tightly packed rows provide excellent texture when cut for corn chowders, succotash, or corn salads. Home gardeners appreciate it for canning and freezing, preserving summer sweetness well into winter.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Country Gentleman into warm soil after all frost danger has passed and soil temperature reaches 60-75°F. Plant seeds roughly 1 inch deep and thin seedlings to 10-inch spacing once they emerge.
Harvesting
Harvest Country Gentleman corn when ears reach full size and silks have turned brown and dried. The kernels should be plump and full, releasing a milky juice when punctured with a thumbnail. Harvest ears in the early morning for peak sweetness, twisting and pulling ears downward from the stalk. Peak harvest typically occurs 90-99 days after sowing.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7
Scientific Classification
Zea L.
Family
Poaceae
Genus
Zea
History & Origin
“Country Gentleman emerged from the seed house of Frank Woodruff & Sons around 1890, launching a variety that quickly defined American heirloom corn. The Peter Henderson Seed Company recognized its merit and began offering it the following year, accelerating its adoption across home and market gardens. Old-time farmers called it "shoe peg" corn for its distinctive kernel arrangement, a reference that stuck for generations. This was the corn that reminded gardeners what real corn flavor tasted like, and it remains a living link to late-19th-century American seed breeding and agricultural tradition.”