Japanese Hulless Popcorn
Japanese Hulless Popcorn
Popcorn
Over the decades, 'Japanese Hulless' has also been sold as 'Tom Thumb', 'Australian Hulless',[2] and 'Dwarf Baby Rice'. Its exact history has been elusive but searching our horticultural library, it began appearing in most of the old seed company catalogs by the early 1920s. The earliest listing that we have found to date is its introduction in the Livingston Seed Company's catalog in 1918. They listed it as "Livingston's Tom Thumb or Japanese Hulless,"* declaring:
Because of its excellent attributes, it has not lost its appeal to home gardeners. Each ounce is approximately 170 seeds.
Planting Instructions: Soil must be at least 65ºF to germinate. Be patient and do not plant too early or you will waste a lot of seed! Plant in full sun and keep it watered. Corn is a wind-pollinated plant. Plant in blocks several rows wide to ensure full ears.
Sow seeds about 1½ to 2½ inch deep, 3 to 4 inches apart, in rows spaced 24 to 30 inches apart. Thin to 6 to 12 inches apart.
Informational Resources:
- "Livingston's Seed Annual for 1918," Livingston Seed Company, Columbus, Ohio, 1918.
- "The Maule Seed Book for 1920," William Henry Maule, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1920.
* - The use of the popcorn cultivar name, 'Tom Thumb' dates to at least the early twentieth century. It is not to be confused with the variety by the same name developed by the University of New Hampshire from a New Hampshire heirloom popcorn variety.
Explore our vegetable collections:
[ Artichokes | Asparagus | Beans | Beets | Broccoli | Sorghums | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Cantaloupe | Carrots | Cauliflower | Celery | Collard Greens | Corn | Cucumber | Eggplant | Endives | Gourds | Kale | Kohlrabi | Leeks | Lettuce | Mesclun Mix | Mustard Greens | Okra | Onions | Parsley | Edible Pod Peas | Garden Peas | South Peas | Hot Peppers | Mild Peppers | Pumpkins | Radishes | Rapini | Rhubarb | Salad Greens | Salsify | Summer Squash | Winter Squash | Swiss Chard | Tomatillo | Tomatoes | Dwarf Tomato Project | Turnips | Watermelons ]