Corn Maize - Silvermine

(Zea mays) - Organically Grown - Grown at Tinonee

Silvermine Maize - a rare dent corn which was once widely distributed amongst farmers for feed production. Producing 1-2 large 23cm cobs of white corn on slender, rigid 2.5m tall stems. Kernels are deep being on average 15mm. This particular strain may have history with Manning Silvermine but it is hard to be certain.

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 maize varieties allow the cob to mature on the plant before you harvest. Harvest time is indicated by the colour of the sheath on the cob with 50% of it needing to be brown off before picking. Ideally allow 100% of the sheath to dry off before harvest. 

Sow spring & summer direct into garden.

Packet contains approx 40 seeds.

Open pollinated variety, Non - Hybrid, Non - GMO

80 days to harvest

Uses

Eat cobs roasted at milking stage or use as animal feed.

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. This Silvermine Maize seed was donated to us by one of our seed re-sellers from Mudgee. It has shown good traits with large cob & kernel size with good purity. We will select this variety further focusing on large cobs & 2 cobs per plant.  We will continue this project into the future and we are always on the lookout for unusual varieties or people willing to grow a crop for us.