Growing new plants is one of my favorite parts of gardening. I like to imagine one day I could grow all of the things I truly enjoy eating in my garden. This pursuit brings me joy, heightens my creativity and inspires me to learn! What more could one ask for in life?

This year I am going to try my hand at growing popcorn among the plethora of other new crops I am growing! I have grown sweet corn for fresh eating and canning. As well as flour corn varieties to dry and grind down into flour for making tamales, corn bread and polenta. Popcorn seems like the next choice in my adventures with growing corn.

In February, some of the staff from Siskiyou Seeds attended the Organic Seed Alliance Conference in Corvallis. It was a fun filled weekend where we got the opportunity to meet plant nerds of all kinds. We truly felt at home amongst a group of people who love seeds and growing plants as much as us. We also got the opportunity to participate in a Variety Showcase put on by the Culinary Breeder’s Network. It was a bustling room filled with tables of all kinds of growers showcasing heirloom vegetables made into unique and delightful small plates.

We were at the corn table and decided to use popcorn as our heirloom crop to demonstrate. When we were preparing for the event we got to pop some of our heirloom varieties of popcorn and taste test them. It was so fun to try all of our popcorn varieties. We settled on Rootbeer Popcorn. It is a selection of Cassiopeia, a vibrant and colorful diverse popcorn.Siskiyou Seeds owner and plant breeder Don Tipping made this selection, choosing to isolate rich copper and brown kernels. The result was a gorgeous popcorn that not only has copper kernels but copper colored tassels and husks as well.

One of the things we noticed when we were tasting our heirloom popcorn was the rich nutty flavor. It even tasted great without salt or butter which is not the case for conventional popcorn that has a stale flavor when it is eaten plain. You might be wondering why popcorn even pops. This was a question I had. The water inside of the seed coating expands with heat and eventually the seed hull gives way to produce the fluffy interior of the seed. The white part you eat is essentially the starch that the baby popcorn plant would use to feed itself as it germinates and grows. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Growing popcorn is sure to be fun for you and your family! Imagine watching these sweet little plants grow and flourish and finally in the fall being able to sit down with a big bowl of popcorn you grew yourself. I can’t wait! If you want more information about how to grow corn check out our blog post with growing tips.

How to Grow Your Own Popcorn

Popcorn is fairly easy to grow. It does best when it is direct seeded into prepared garden beds, You will want to wait until your last Spring frost has passed before you plant. Make sure the soil temperatures are about 50 degrees. Sow the seed about 1-2 inches deep. I like to sow more seeds then I will need as little garden creatures like mice and birds also enjoy corn seed. Popcorn seed will take about 7-19 days to germinate in ideal conditions. Once your plants have sprouted you can thin them down to about 8-12” spacing. Space rows 18-24” apart. For a more even pollination plant corn in blocks. You can plant squash and flowers around the bases of your corn plants to create a nice ecosystem.

Harvesting and Drying 

Popcorn is different from sweet corn as you do not eat it fresh. It will take your plants a little longer to finish as you are waiting until the seeds have fully formed on the cob. It is the same as flour corn. Wait until the husks are fully dry and the stalks of the plants are brown. The seeds will feel hard inside of the husk. Harvest the cobs off of the plants before the first fall frost. Pull back the husk and la the cobs on a screen or hang them so that the seed can finish crying. It is pretty easy to remove the kernels from the cob but there are also little tools available to help you. Usually holding the cob between both hands and then twisting is sufficient to release the kernels. You can wear gloves to make it easier. Once your kernels are free form the cob you are ready to eat them! Pop them in your favorite way whether it be in an air popper or on the stove in a pot with hot oil. I suggest trying them plain first so you can marvel in the unique flavor of heirloom popcorn.

Happy Planting!