I'm thinking about ordering some blue sweet corn to grow - it sounds fun from the catalog description. My partner, however, is very concerned that it would be rude to grow this type of corn.

He thinks our neighbors would be irate at discovering small blue kernels on some of their regular sweet corn (since corn is wind pollinated, I think pollen contamination is possible up to a mile away).

I guess it's not a big deal to talk to our immediate neighbors for 'permission' (I don't believe they grow corn, and probably won't care), but I was just surprised at the intensity of his objection. What do you guys think?

I would say go ahead and grow it! I always lament the fact that there are so many varieties of corn, beet, carrots.. etc etc but that you can generally only get one type. Enjoy it! If you are really worried, once you have grown some, take some to your neighbours and encourage them to try it (or even grow another variety!).

I really wouldn't worry. :)

No, it wouldn't be rude. Though corn cross-pollinates, it usually ( not always) does so within a short distance. You can mitigate the problem by growing a dense band of taller plants (such as sunflowers) around your corn patch to help prevent pollen from traveling.

If you're really worried, you can drape your corn patch with light rowcover fabric (the kind used to block insects) to keep the pollen inside.

While pollination is possible up to about 2/3 of a mile away, for most practical purposes much less distance is sufficient.

Acc to what I've read, 250 feet will give some contamination, but not enough to materially affect quality. 750 feet (.15 mile) will give complete isolation. http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1996/5-24-1996/sweetcorn.html

This is esp true if they plant their corn in blocks, at least 4 plants in width, with lots of male and females organs on each side of each plant, for all plants, except for plants on the outside edge of the block. Then the likelyhood of pollen from plants that are 2/3 a mile away getting in are small, even tho the pollen is there -- because there is so much more pollen, so much closer. What your neigbors will have, if they are less than 2/3 of a mile away, is a blue kernal or 2, maybe, and not on every ear. And that is only for their corn that pollinates at the same time yours pollinates. Pollination occurs during a 2-week (I seem to recall) period during the plants' growth and how many days it is after sowing, depends on the particular variety of corn (and of course on the weather conditions also).

By the way, it is not the whole kernal (seed) that is mixed maternal and paternal. Only the embryo is mixed. The rest of the kernal is female, maternal, and the same genetically as the seed you planted. However the embryo can affect development, to some extent, of other parts of the seed, I'm not sure how much -- I've found this difficult to get info about. So the flavor and appearance of the kernal can be affected if ears are pollinated by fathers who are members of different gene pools (varieties, cultivars) than the kind you planted. But I'm not sure of the details of which kinds shouldn't be planted together. I know super sweets should be kept separate from sugary and sugary enhanced types, if you want your super sweets to turn out alright, but that it is generall considered ok to grow sugary and sugary enhanced types together. I'm not sure about flour corn and sweet corn, or blue, white, and yellow.

If your neighbors aren't even growing corn, that seems to be a weird thing for your partner to get upset over.

If your neighbors were growing corn, especially for profit, then I'd think it wise to let them in on it/ask permission, but otherwise, I don't see how it could possibly be an inconvenience.

All you need to do is talk to your neighbor.

When I read the topic title, I wondered how it could possible be rude to grow any type of corn... But, I guess talking to the neigbours willl be the solution, I can't imagine they would object.

It would be no more rude to grow blue corn, if neigbors are growing yellow or white corn, than it would be to grow sugary corn, if your neigbors were growing supersweet corn.

Heh eh!

When I read the title of this post, I was imagining rude shapes that corn could grow into!

I'm grovelingly sorry, but the poo/bum/wee inner child in me just had to say it.

snickers.....

I had to open this to read about rude corn, but I think it's neat that you're growing an unusual variety--is it an heirloom type?

It would be courteous, although not necessary, to inform your neighbors if they grow corn. But really, it wouldn't be different for your blue corn to cross polinate their corn then for theirs to cross polinate yours.

It might be rude to grow the pepper variety "Red Peter."

bethann "it would be different for your blue corn to cross polinate their corn then for theirs to cross polinate yours."

Why is that?

We've always grown two or three varities of corn in rows right NEXT to each other and only on rare occasions had even the slightest bit of cross pollination (like 1 or 2 ears out of several hundred!).

We use varities that ripen/mature at different times so there IS less chance of cross pollinating as well, it CAN happen but the odds are extremely slim.

As someone said, if the neighbor is growing it to sell and it's his only source of income and your corn is totally different and a few feet across the fenceline - well, then I can see how it might be nice to ask... otherwise, <<shrug>> I think it should be NO problem...

Some varieties of corn are succeptible to cross pollination. The new "super sweet" (sh2) hybrid corn must be isolated from other types, but open pollinated corn and sugary (su), sugary enhanced (se) and (se+) corn do not. (reference - Johnny's Selected Seeds)

I finally read this thread, like others have also said, I too was wondering how it could be rude. Very cool stuff!

bethann "it would be different for your blue corn to cross polinate their corn then for theirs to cross polinate yours."

Why is that?

Sorry, I meant to type that it wouldn't be any different, in other words, grow your blue corn and don't worry about it.

Just my two cents...Soilman is right here, based on what I've read about corn.