Red, orange, yellow, deep purple and sky blue are the colors of autumn. They are also the colors people gravitate toward for decorating this time of year. These colors and many more can be found in ornamental corns, which lend themself well to fall decorating themes.
One kind of decorative corn with which most of us are familiar is the multi-colored Indian corn. There are actually dozens of different Indian corns.
Indian corn is the precursor to the standard yellow corn we buy from farm stands in late summer and in cans year round. One-colored ears of corn are really unnatural products of human selection. Years of deliberate selection, careful pollination and storing of seeds produced single color corn ears. Livestock feeders and grocery store shoppers prefer vitamin-rich yellow kernels. Southerners like white kernels and Native Americans favor blue.
But for decoration, you can’t beat the multi-colored cobs. You can grow cobs with colors all in earth tones, those that produce black and white kernels, others that yield a range of pinks and purples. And for Packer backers or John Deere fans there is a cultivar that produces green and gold kernels.
All the Indian corns can be ground into flour for use in baking.
Another type of ornamental corn is broom corn. Instead of cobs, the plants produce wiry tassels from the top of the plant which are studded with seed heads of red, brown, purple and black. The 24 to 36-inch long sprays can be used for dried flower arrangements, crafts or to make straw brooms. Or tie them to tree branches in winter and let the birds enjoy the seeds.
There is an ornamental sorghum that grows similar to broom corn but has more seeds and less broom fiber. The compact cone-shaped seed heads are 8 to 12 inches long and the vibrant colors add a punch to fresh and dried floral arrangements.
Did you know you can grow your own popcorn? It grows on ears just like sweet corn, but the cobs and kernels are smaller. Popcorn comes in a rainbow of colors and the cobs can be used for decoration or popped for eating. The key to the success of a popcorn crop is in the storage conditions after harvest. Allow the corn to dry in the field until the kernels are hard and the husks completely dry. After harvest, remove the husks and place the ears in mesh bags and hang in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels pop well and taste good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. If the popcorn is chewy or the popped kernels are jagged, it is too wet and needs to continue drying.
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