We want to try growing popcorn this year. Have you ever grown any? What kind(s)? How did you like it? What is your favorite? Most importantly - where did you buy it? Thanks for your help! Jean

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), April 06, 2000

Answers

My youngest son, 8 at the tiem, took some kennels from a bag of Jiffy Pop and planted them in a 5 gallon plastic pail on the backporch. Guess what they grew got half a dozen ears. It is probally a hybrid but the price was right.

-- Rich (pntbeldyk@wirefire.com), April 06, 2000.

I grew popcorn about 10 years ago. I think that it was strawberry or something like that it was small round ears that were red. I really dont remember how well they popped. I just looked in the Gurney's catalog sitting in my pile of seed catalogs and they have 4 varieties, one is blue($2.03 100 seeds) that looks fun! Their web is www.gurneys.com or customer service is #1-605-665-1671. I buy most of my seeds from Jung's in Madison WI. They also have a website, but I am not sure what it is. Good luck, I think I may try the blue myself this year.

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), April 06, 2000.

Just buy a bag of popcorn at the store and plant it. I grew the little red ears last year and we really had a hot summer here in southern IN. and I know you are going to think I am lying but I swear I am not. It popped in the feild, or maybe I should say it parched. I kept an ear in my car just to show people. I knew it was hot last year but that was to hot. It is easy to grow just remember to keep the coons out of it and let it dry good before you pick it

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), April 06, 2000.

Most any seed catalog will have at least one variety. I prefer the hulless types, they seem to be more tender. Get yourself a corn sheller of some type, though. Even the little ones that you just twist onto the cob will do. The kernels are sharp in the ends, and if you aren't careful, you will take the skin off of your thumbs.

-- Connie (connie@lunehaven.com), April 07, 2000.

My uncle used to grow it. I think he just got the seed from the bag of popcorn they bought at the store. He had popcorn all over the place, and gave it to everyone who came in the door. You would probably do better with seed purchased specifically for that purpose though, as I am sure the Jiffy Pop, etc., it hybrid.

You can also shell corn by rubbing two dry ears together at right angles. My mother used to do it all the time. Once you get the hang of it, you can really shell a lot of corn in a hurry.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), April 07, 2000.

Weeellll, if you are going to plant grocery store popcorn like everyone is suggesting than at least plant Orville Redenbachers.......it is the best! Grant is right tho, if it is really hot this summer it will pop right on the ear, I've seen it here in Illinois! Good luck & let us know the outcome. Jane

-- Jane Gauch (Sewbears4u@aol.com), April 07, 2000.

Well, I guess popcorn isn't widely grown! We're gonna go with the miniature blue & pink from Park's. My children are doing square foot gardens this summer so we really didn't want to leave it to chance. We couldn't find any popcorn seed at any of the many stores we looked at. Didn't want to pay s&h but Park's has a good deal for seeds. It helped that they have two of my favorite squashes, too! Thanks all!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), April 07, 2000.

P.S. I'm in Illinois, too.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), April 07, 2000.

I have grown a nice variety called strawberry popcorn which looks like large strawberrys, you can pop it or use in flower or craft decorations. Most seed cataloges carry it.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), April 07, 2000.

I agree with Kathy H. Last fall, after Thanksgiving, I bought bunch of heavily discounted strawberry popcorn that was being sold for decoration. Popped some of it. Great small tender puffs (much better than store popcorn) with nothing getting between my teeth. I am going to plant some this spring. As far as I know this is an open pollinated variety. Dont think they have hybrid version as they do Indian Corn. Have seen it way back, but thought of it just as a decoration.

-- Hermit John (ozarkhermit@pleasedontspamme.com), April 08, 2000.

Jean, this probably isn't a very helpful answer, but your letter brought back great memories of one of the many ways I got in trouble when I was a little kid. My neighborhood buddy Mickey and I ran out of dried peas for our pea shooters, so we found some old unpopped popcorn and sat out on the front porch shooting kernals as far as we could. A week or so later my Dad came into the house angry and puzzled, wondering aloud how we could have little corn stalks growing in the middle of his bluegrass lawn! That may not be the way you choose to plant...

-- Rog (flanders@probe.net), April 08, 2000.

I grew popcorn about thirty years ago and it came out just fine. We bought the seeds from Burpee but I don't remember what they were called. I remember they popped fine and the ears were small, like that red popcorn you see on cobs but it was white. It was hard to get it off of the cob is about all I remember. Also, make sure that you do not plant it too close to sweet corn as it can cross pollinate and ruin them both for what you are trying to produce. You've motivated me to try it again this year. It is fun to grow.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), April 09, 2000.

I have grown the mini blue popcorn. The ears are very small, but the stuff popped like crazy. I've also grown the strawberry popcorn. I think it is more for decoration, it did not pop as well.

-- Jeanne (jcd51@webtv.net), April 10, 2000.

Thank you all for your help. I enjoyed your story, Rog! Sounds like something my children would do, except my husband would then mow around each stalk!

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), April 13, 2000.