How to grow Popcorn in Australia

Where to plant

Grow popcorn in full sun in rich, well-drained soil, sheltered from strong wind, after the soil has warmed. Corn is wind pollinated: pollen falls from the tassels at the top onto the silks of the cobs, and every kernel must be pollinated. Plant in a square block of several short rows rather than one long line, so pollen lands on the silks.

Keep popcorn well away from sweet corn, or grow only one type each season. Cross-pollination affects the kernels of both, spoiling the quality of each crop.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney and Adelaide: sow from spring into early summer once the soil is warm.
• Perth: sow from September to November in blocks; the long, dry summer and autumn dry the cobs well on the plant.
• Melbourne and Canberra: sow after frost, from October or November, as the warm season is short.
• Hobart: marginal. Sow in November only and choose the fastest variety; cobs need every warm day to dry.
• North Queensland and Darwin: sow in the dry season so the cobs can dry on the stalk before the rains.

Choosing a variety

• Strawberry popcorn has small, fat, deep red cobs that are both ornamental and good for popping.
• Tom Thumb is a dwarf variety about 1 m tall with yellow kernels, good for smaller gardens.

How to plant

1. Wait until the soil is warm, about 18°C or more, after the last frost.
2. Dig compost into the bed.
3. Sow 2 seeds every 30 cm, 2 to 3 cm deep, in a block of at least four short rows, and thin to the stronger seedling.
4. Water in well and keep the soil moist until seedlings emerge.

Watering and feeding

Water deeply and evenly, especially when the tassels and silks appear, as dry soil then gives gappy cobs. Mulch to hold moisture. Once the cobs are full and the husks start to brown, ease off watering so they dry down on the plant.

Corn is a hungry crop. Feed with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser as the plants grow tall, and a balanced feed as the cobs form.

Pruning and care through the year

• For fuller cobs in a small patch, hand pollinate: when the tassels open, tap them over the silks or pull one off and brush it across the silks of nearby plants each morning.
• Hill soil around the base of the stems for support in windy spots.
• Check the tips of the cobs for corn earworm caterpillars from silking onwards.

Harvesting

Leave the cobs on the plant until the husks are dry, papery and brown and the kernels are hard and cannot be dented with a fingernail.

Twist the cobs off, peel back the husks and hang them somewhere dry and airy for a few more weeks to finish drying. When the kernels come away easily, rub them off the cob and store them in a sealed jar; they keep for two years or more.

Growing in pots

Dwarf popcorn can be grown in a large pot at least 40 cm wide, but you need several plants close together for pollination, so a group of pots or a wide trough works best.

Using it

Pop the dried kernels in a covered pan with a little oil or in a popper. Keep the kernels in a sealed jar between uses. Cobs of coloured varieties also make good decorations.