Corn Maize - Manning Pride

(Zea mays) - Uncertified - Organically Grown at Tinonee, NSW

Manning Pride Maize is a rare heirloom variety that was bred in the Manning Valley from Manning White. Large cob to 30cm long with large golden kernels, cobs can be eaten fresh or stored dried for animal feed. Despite technically being a maize Manning Pride is an excellent 'sweet corn' when young with a sweet creamy texture. Stami has been growing seeds at Greenpatch for 10 years now and votes this corn as his favourite eating variety. Pan fry with real butter for best results. 

Manning Pride was was bred traditionally as a stock feed which requires the cob to be harvested much later then dried further for storage. As required seed would be cracked and fed to animals.

How to Grow

Corn is a heavy feeder of key nutrients in your soil, it is important to plant corn in very fertile soil with good moisture holding capacity. You can improve your soil by using compost, animal manures and fertilisers. Choose a full sun position and sow during the warmer months in Spring & Summer. Sow seed direct into the garden by forming a furrow roughly 2cm deep. Sow a couple of seeds together then cover with 2cm of soil and keep moist until germinated. Thin out plants to the strongest seedling once they germinate. Space seeds 30cm apart and try to grow in blocks of at least 10 plants to improve pollination.

Plants will set cobs between 70-90 days depending on the variety.

For sweet corns harvest monitor the silk at the end of the cob, it should be dried off a little but still fresh under that outer dried layer.

For maize varieties allow the cob to mature on the plant before you harvest with 50% of the sheath needing to be browned off before picking. Ideally allow 100% of the sheath to dry off before harvest. 

Sow spring & summer direct into garden.

Packet contains approx 60 seeds.

Open pollinated variety, Non - Hybrid, Non - GMO

90 days to harvest

Corn/Maize Success Story

We received this seed as part of our corn/maize project. With many heirloom varieties no longer being grown in Australia we felt there was a need to find varieties, get them grown out and re-distribute seeds amongst home gardeners to ensure they are easily available into the future. Blue Hopi has been a success and was grown by some local organic farmers allowing seeds to be available to the public. We will continue this project into the future and we are always on the lookout for unusual varieties or people will to grow a crop for us.