Growing popcorn
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Topic: Growing popcorn
Posted By: Don(MO)
Subject: Growing popcorn
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2018 at 10:04pm
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Like the title says I'm looking for the do's and don'ts on growing popcorn, looking for INFO. on planting depth, plants per acre, growth time, what % of moister is dry enough to store and then % it will pop good at, can it be shelled with a combine or picking on the ear better for storage and where can I buy somewhere around 100 to maybe even 200# popcorn seed at? I have been asked to grow what think is a lot of popcorn. lol ------------- 3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep. |
Replies:
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2018 at 10:27pm
| Uncle grew for processor...shelled in field with 76 F Gleaner. Stuff weighs like sand... |
Posted By: Carl(NWWI)
Date Posted: 16 Dec 2018 at 11:48pm
| Well, don't plant it anywhere near sweet corn or Indian corn. It cross pollinated with em last year and I had a whole bunch of half breed popcorn. Worthless basically. Grew another 4 rows 75ft long this year. Filled a basket full of cobs. Have them drying in the shop now. I believe 15% is the sweet spot. The worms like the cobs I know that for sure. Planted ours at 32k. But I believe the happy number is around 20k. |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 1:07am
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Growing up, Dad would use the same planter plate and fertilizer he used for sweet corn. We picked it by hand and any we didn't sell we shelled by hand. That stuff is sharp and if you ain't done much manual labor it'll tear your hands up! Never tried it but I wonder if one of the old crank corn shellers would work? ------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: SLB
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 6:33am
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Kids and I grew about a couple of acres Amish Pennsylvania Butter Popcorn. (A heritage variety). Hand howed, hand picked and shelled. Kids were not happy:). Anyway we went on line for a hand sheller. Everything went well. Goodluck |
Posted By: farmboy520
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:42am
I've been growing around 1/2 acre for fun the last several years. I plant it with the same planter as the rest of my corn. I plant it at 32-34K and have a good stand. The first year we grew it I picked it by hand.  Since then, we have either picked it with a one row picker and shelled it with sheller or one year I picked it with the combine. It would be very feasible it do it with a combine if you cleaned it out good before hand. Storage moisture is around the same for it as field corn and it pops the best around 13. I've been told that it acts like sweet corn and really likes the N, and from what I've seen I can't say that it is untrue. Chemical program wise, there aren't as many chemicals listed for popcorn as field corn because some chemicals carry over into the seeds. Sorry for the long post. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.
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Posted By: Orange Glow
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:44am
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We grew some popcorn a couple years ago, about 12-16 95’ rows. Picked it by hand, and shelled it with my great great grandpa’s John Deere 1A hand sheller. I set up an old 6’x10’ 100 bushel wagon in the shed with some air flow through some corn tunnels, and filled the wagon 3/4 full of ear corn. If I remember right, there was 17 bushels of shelled corn. I put it in gallon and quart bags, gave it as Christmas presents, sold some of it, and filled a freezer full of it. It was a job, but it was kind of fun to re-live what my great great grandpa did, and my great grandpa in his younger years. Even my dad used that sheller when he was a kid for popcorn! |
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 9:37am
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Fellow near me used to grow a lot of it. He bought my first Wood Brothers picker from me. He had a hayrack with wire crib sides he used to pick into, then pulled the wagon into the driveway of the corn crib for storage. Here is a U of Iowa site that tells some about growing it and has several links at the bottom to seed companies that sell it. https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2000/7-21-2000/popcorn.html" rel="nofollow - https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2000/7-21-2000/popcorn.html ------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 9:39am
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I've been thinking of growing some myself. May just do it out in the huntin pasture so it's far enough away from field corn to limit cross pollination. ------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: Ky.Allis
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 9:52am
| The last I grew(about 20 yrs. ago) was a small plot and picked it by hand. Let ears dry for about 2 weeks after picking. Remove shucks and place the ear (cob included) in small brown paper bag and twist tie loosely. Place in microwave for 2 minutes on high and you will have a bag of ready to eat popcorn with empty cob in the middle. Cob would have been handy before indoor plumbing. |
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 10:10am
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I would suggest you follow the above guidelines and grow several varieties as a test for your location . Might take a few years. I would volunteer (being from the volunteer state) to evaluate your progress free of charge. Please send a minimum 20# sample to our address after harvest and we will assess your product and progress. :-) ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: cabinhollow
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 3:53pm
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A few years back, someone had a field across the river from Louisville KY. Late one afternoon, they took the combine out and got it all ready to pick the next day. Came back the next day, all the popcorn was pick and gone. His combine was still there. But, $20,000+ worth of popcorn was not. |
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 5:55pm
My grandfather raised some, but it were with a pair of ole army mules. He told me he was pickin by hand, in late october, with them ex-corporals on the wagon, hadda bout half a load on, and they stopped pullin... Well, the old trick to get stubborn mules to move, was to start a fire unner 'em. Well, he did, they moved just far enough forward, to set the wagon afire... You know what comes next, fire started alla the popcorn a poppin, mules thought it were snow, and froze ta death, afore he could put tha fire out!
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Posted By: farmerzzz
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 6:19pm
| I have try growing in the past, but always plants to thick. what plate do you use to keep from dropping two seeds. |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:07pm
 I hope grandpa had a good supply of salt,freeze dried jerky and popcorn. All your missing is the beer. |
DiyDave wrote:Posted By: Austin(WI)
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:16pm
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When we did popcorn Dad used the IH Cyclone Air Planter. I think he got either a sorghum drum or popcorn drum for it. We used a New Idea one-row picker to harvest into the gravity box. Then we funneled the popcorn into onion bags or some sort of large sack that we could air the corn out in. We put them in the barn to air out for a few months. We used to shell by hand---not fun. Then we used an old wooden hand-crank sheller which worked better, but your arm gets tired after many sacks of popcorn. I picked up an old steel McCormick sheller and I put a small electric motor on it. This was one we could adjust the opening for different sized of popcorn going into it. It was a fun little operation. My wife and I sold this stuff at local farmers markets.    ------------- "Better By Design" |
Posted By: exSW
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:40pm
| E&R seed in Indiana has bulk popcorn varieties. |
Posted By: JW in MO
Date Posted: 17 Dec 2018 at 7:59pm
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Don, I still have plenty of popcorn from last years crop hanging in the shed. I followed your advice on proper application and timing of nitrogen and wow what a crop. The yellow makes great corn meal too. I've got an old corn sheller I'm trying to set up to shell it. ------------- Maximum use of available resources! |
Posted By: Don(MO)
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 6:18am
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Thanks for all the great INFO. I was not not up on popcorn before but now with all the help from you guys I'm thinking we will plant some popcorn this year, I have 6 seeds planted in a big flower pot for one week and all 6 are now up so the test is coming along, more to come. If we find the need for testers I know we can count on you guys. lol ------------- 3 WD45's with power steering,G,D15 fork lift,D19, W-Speed Patrol, "A" Gleaner with a 330 corn head,"66" combine,roto-baler, and lots of Snap Coupler implements to make them work for their keep. |
Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 18 Dec 2018 at 12:09pm
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A word of caution regarding population, Don't go too thick, or you will have nubbins and blank ears. ---- also check on a good pre-emer. for weeds and grass. Pop corn won't tolerate competition! Fertilize HEAVY for good quality and nice ears. I worked for a guy back in 64 that raised it here for Cracker Jack co. He always planted 80 acres every year and picked it with a Ford mounted picker mounted on a WD allis tractor. Dad got the contract to haul it 70 miles one way to the popcorn plant.--- At the plant it went into long cribs to be shelled later. In 84, my cousin had 40 acres that was combined ( Gleaner N-6) and hauled 20 miles to a bin. I drove his Dodge tandem at the time. Thanks; ac fleet
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Posted By: Travis2766
Date Posted: 19 Dec 2018 at 8:14pm
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I plant it in the garden every year, last year I decided to go “Big Time” and plant 2 acres. I planted with my regular field corn plates on 32” rows. I slowed the rate way down because I had doubles and triples in the cells of the plates. Had good emergence but still very thick. I fertilized and cultivated as you would field corn. I harvested it this fall at 18% moisture with my All Crop 66. I dry it in a small homemade batch dryer and store it at 12-14% moisture. What I learned 1. Don’t plant it too thick, as said before you’ll get lots of blank stalks and small ears. I’m going to try sorghum plates next year. 2. Don’t wait too long to harvest. Unlike field corn popcorn has a small stem and tends to break and fall down the longer you wait to harvest. Also the deer and birds love to eat it and will eat a lot of a small stand. 3.You need to be very careful when harvesting mechanically, any cracked or chipped seed coats will not pop, harvesting by hand prevents this but it’s a lot of work. ------------- 190XT Series III, D17 Series IV, D15 Series II, All Crop 66 and a whole mess of equipment. |
Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2018 at 12:32pm
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Sorghum plates and slow planter way down should work good. Do a test pull on hard ground and check drop rate and spacing. You want healthy stalks so they can stand.---Don't know bout all popcorns, BUT this commercial stuff grows 10 feet tall here and stalks look like sorghum stalks!---falls down real easy. In some areas, varmints can destroy the entire crop,--That might be something to factor in as well!---Just trying to cover all the bases here on growing popcorn. If you are aware of the "surprises" before they show up, it gives you a better chance of success with your venture! thanks; ac fleet
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Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2018 at 12:39pm
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Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2018 at 1:25pm
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? Would the popcorn from the store bought bags germinate and grow or is it hybrid, nuked, or otherwise killed? At a buck a bag or lb. that's a lot of seeds. ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: im4racin
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2018 at 3:39pm
| I know the stuff at the store will germinate and grow in butter dishes in the middle of winter but had to move and the test didn't get finished!!! |
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 20 Dec 2018 at 3:46pm
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I would think any store bought popcorn would grow when you plant it. You just never know what you will get when the ears form though. Hybrid corn won't produce a seed to grow the same corn. It might be just fine? Each kernel is pollinated separately and can be pollinated by anything nearby. A couple years ago I had some pumpkins and saved the seed from one to plant. Two seeds grew pumpkins just like what I had the year before, one grew yellow and green striped zucchini looking thing and one grew a small round gourd.  ------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2018 at 8:49am
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I guess I'll just buy a packet of seeds, Don't want no cornysteins stalking me in the patch. ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: naylorbros
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2018 at 10:23am
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I have not grown any but have put about 10 acres through the combine for a friend this year. I have about 2.5 more to go tomorrow. He would rather see more trash in the bin than corn on the ground as he runs all of it through a recleaner before he sells it. There was an area of cockle burrs in one patch and I ask him if he wanted me to go around it as everyone of those things would end up in the bin. I was told to put them in the bin and he would worry about getting them out with the recleaner. I was going to post some pictures of the three colors of popcorn I took off but my file sizes are to big. Thanks ken
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Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 21 Dec 2018 at 1:15pm
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You can re-size them in paint!--That's what I do. 480 x 640 is ideal post size. thanks; ac fleet |
Posted By: Travis2766
Date Posted: 22 Dec 2018 at 12:29pm
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I’ve planted both seed popcorn and popping popcorn, I did a little research and seems to me that all white popcorn is openly pollinated (no hydrids) seems to grow just fine to me. I have a video of combining it on my phone but I can’t figure out how to load it to a post. ------------- 190XT Series III, D17 Series IV, D15 Series II, All Crop 66 and a whole mess of equipment. |
Posted By: Dick L
Date Posted: 22 Dec 2018 at 1:21pm
| I grew popcorn when we had a large truck patch when the kids were smaller and eat like geese. Our seed was from our favorite the store bought brand popcorn. We planted it by hand two kernels about 4 inches apart. We saved the red net bags we bought oranges and potato's in and after we husk it in the fall we bagged it in those net bags and hung them in the garage. Shelled in a dish pan at the kitchen table as needed when we wanted to pop some in the winter. Hanging in the unheated garage seemed to have the best moisture content to get the maximum popped kernels. We usually had around six to eight bags when husked. |