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Lancaster Surecrop Dent Corn

Lancaster Surecrop Dent Corn

Regular price $2.83 USD
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Lancaster Surecrop
(aka Lancaster Sure Crop)
Dent Corn

110 days — The ears of 'Lancaster Surecrop' dent corn, also known as 'Lancaster Sure Crop', are nine to eleven inches long with sixteen to eighteen rows of large, yellow, kernels. The stalks grow tall and leafy with sturdy root systems. The strong root system provide for better resistance to wind and drought. This variety is also good for making silage.

Dating back to the early 1900s when Isaac Eby Hershey, and later his son Noah Leaman Hershey, developed this historic dent variety over a period of years in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They crossed many varieties selecting for early maturity, disease resistance, ease of harvest and uniformity and began selling seed in 1910. It has been reported that at one time, over 10% of all U.S. bred modern hybrid corn varieties can trace their heritage back to this variety.[1] Each ounce is approximately 120 seeds.
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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.

Harvest Information:

Pick the ears for dry grain or decoration when the husks are dry and the kernels are hard enough that you cannot make a dent in them with your fingernail. Many people pick the ears too early when kernels are still soft. If this is done they shrivel up and shrink and their beauty is destroyed. They cannot finish maturing once they have been picked.

Even though the ears look dry, there remains moisture deep within the cob. If you were to enclose them in a box, the moisture would cause them to sour and mold. You may let them dry longer on the plants if neither weather nor predators are damaging them. Otherwise hang them up or lay them out in the open until they are completely dry inside.

Informational References:
  1. "Corn: Origin, History, Technology, and Production", by C.Wayne Smith, Javier Betrán, Edward C. A. Runge. [Link 1], [Link 2]