Supersweet Corn
Honey Select is an AAS Award-winning hybrid sweet corn that earned its accolade in 2001 for a trait that matters most to home gardeners: an extended harvest window. Reaching 72 inches tall, this variety produces 8-inch ears that stay tender and sweet for longer than most varieties, never turning starchy even if you miss peak harvest by a few days. It matures in 80 days and thrives in heat and drought-prone regions, making it exceptionally reliable across hardiness zones 2 through 13. The TripleSweet genetics create kernels that are a blend of different sugary endosperm types, giving you complexity of flavor alongside the convenience of a variety that doesn't require isolation from other corn varieties.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-13
84in H x ?in W
Annual
High
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What sets Honey Select apart is its forgiving nature, both in the garden and at harvest. This hybrid produces consistently sized 8-inch ears with a unique sweetness profile thanks to its TripleSweet genetic blend, but the real magic is its tolerance for both heat and drought stress and its ability to maintain eating quality over an extended picking window. The fact that it doesn't demand isolation from other corn varieties means you can grow multiple types in a smaller space without worrying about cross-pollination issues, a practical advantage that many specialty corns simply don't offer.
Honey Select is grown primarily for fresh eating, steamed or grilled straight from the harvest. Its extended harvest window makes it practical for gardeners who want to pick ears at leisure over several days rather than rushing to process an entire planting at once. The kernels' particular sweetness profile suits it equally well to raw eating straight off the cob or incorporation into salads, corn bread, or succotash.
Direct sow Honey Select seeds into warm soil after all danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, though 65-70°F is ideal for faster germination and stronger seedling vigor. Plant seeds 1 inch deep, 10 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Thin seedlings to one plant every 10 inches if seeds were sown more densely.
Harvest Honey Select when ears feel full and plump and the silk has turned brown, typically 80 days after planting. The kernels should be full and milky when you puncture one with a fingernail, a reliable test for peak sweetness. One of the defining traits of this variety is that it maintains eating quality longer than standard sweet corn, so you have a forgiving window of several days for harvest without the kernels turning starchy. Snap ears off cleanly with a downward twist, being careful not to bend the stalk.
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“Honey Select earned the All-America Selections award in 2001, a recognition reserved for vegetable varieties that demonstrate superior performance in trial gardens across North America. This award acknowledged the breeder's success in solving a real problem: most sweet corn varieties have a narrow harvest window of just a few days before sugars convert to starch, forcing gardeners to pick at exactly the right moment or watch their crop decline. The TripleSweet genetics, a deliberate combination of different sugar-gene types, with 75% (se) standard endosperm and 25% (sh2) supersweet endosperm, were engineered to extend that window, allowing home gardeners to harvest over a longer period without sacrificing flavor or tenderness.”