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Ornamental corn has recently become super popular with farmers around the world, although the cultivation of such varieties has been known since the pre-Columbian era. Private gardeners and large companies are breeding bright, unusual species and their further selection. Beautiful plants and colorful cobs are very attractive to look at.
Is it possible to eat ornamental corn
The amount of starch in ornamental corn exceeds 75%. Due to this high content of polysaccharides, ripe grains are very dense and do not soften during heat treatment. Fully ripened corn is crushed and added to bakery products. Popcorn is made from colored grains.
Ornamental corn is not only edible, but also useful. The chemical composition of grains is rich in such important substances for humans:
- magnesium;
- manganese;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- iron;
- copper;
- zinc.
Corn, both ordinary and ornamental, is a source of vegetable proteins (about 15%). The low content of fats (up to 5,1%) and sugar (from 1,5 to 3,5%) makes it possible to use the culture for dietary and baby food.
Unripe decorative ears, collected at the stage of milky maturity, do not differ in taste from ordinary corn. Most of the useful elements are preserved during heat treatment.
Description of varieties of ornamental corn
Corn is an annual crop of the cereal family, the decorative species of which differ from ordinary varieties in the appearance of the leaves, the color of the grains, and the size of the cobs. The American continent is considered the birthplace of corn with an unusual color. Reviving varieties that were cultivated by the Mayan and Aztec tribes, breeders create various decorative species that are very popular with modern gardeners.
Strawberry
Strawberry corn stalks rarely grow above 1 m. With abundant fertilizing, watering and sufficient lighting, the growth of adult plants can reach 1,5 m. Thin bright green leaves, with longitudinal white stripes, are very decorative and give plantings an exotic look.
Medium cobs are formed on the stems, no more than 10 cm in length and up to 8 cm in diameter. Grains of red-brown color, brilliant, bright. The appearance of the cob gave corn its name, because the fruit-grain resembles a strawberry tapering to the tip.
When planting in May, the time of full ripening of the cobs will be at the end of August. Until this time, milk grains have a sweet corn taste, they can be eaten. The ripened dense grain is ground to the state of flour, with a natural purple color.
strawberry meadow
An original variety of red corn with a stem height of 1,2 to 1,5 m. In the axils of the ribbon-like striped leaves, 3 to 5 ears per plant are formed. The integumentary membranes of the fruits also have white stripes; when ripe, their color becomes uniform, beige.
The color of the seeds is burgundy. The grains have a pointed tip, their stacking creates a semblance of a large cone. The size of the cob varies from 8 to 12 cm with a diameter reaching 6-8 cm. The average fruit weight is 70 g.
Plantings of ornamental corn Strawberry glade create beautiful ensembles in open flower beds. The variety is used as a hedge or background for flower arrangements, cobs are used in interior design.
Mosaic
A popular variety of colored decorative corn is especially loved by decorators and florists. The mosaic bears grains on the cob from gold to black. The unique variegated fruit pattern includes white, yellow, brown tones. Plant sizes are compact: corn stalks grow just over 1 m.
In addition to decorativeness, Mosaic has a high nutritional value. Grains can serve as a source of various natural pigments in cooking. An ornamental variety has another practical application – it is often used in the fattening of valuable breeds of poultry.
Montana Multicolor
The original color of the cobs is the main advantage of the variety. Combinations of multi-colored grains, often not related to the same color scheme, cannot be predicted. Blue, red, white, golden yellow, bright orange color with many additional shades can be found on one cob.
Only 2 inflorescences are formed on the stem, from which caryopses up to 20 cm long develop. To achieve ripeness, the variety requires a growing season of about 110 days. The decorativeness of the Montana Multicolor variety is highly valued in floristry, which makes it one of the most sought after in Europe.
Indian giant
The name accurately indicates the main distinguishing characteristic of the variety. Ornamental corn is distinguished by atypically large fruit sizes and trunk growth of about 2 m. Giant cobs for ornamental corn grow up to 5 cm.
The diameter of the fruit is small, the shape is elongated, cigar-shaped. Colors and their combinations are different for each plant and changeable in different seasons. Amazing combinations include, in addition to red, yellow, white, blue tones, various derivatives of purple and even black.
The grain ripening period is 125 days. The plant is extremely thermophilic: at temperatures above + 20 ° C and good lighting, it does not need any care, except for occasional watering.
Gem
The multi-color variety of corn belongs to medium-sized, sugary varieties. The height of a strong stem under favorable conditions reaches 1,5 m, which makes it possible to form fences or wind protection from plantings for more delicate crops. The cobs are small in size.
The grains are staggered and can be dyed brown, yellow, white and black in all sorts of combinations. The gamut of shades with such combinations turns out to be restrained, not flashy. Underripe grains are cooked and eaten, just like sweet corn. Popular decorative use of ripe fruits.
The content of sugars in the composition of the grains is increased. Taste indicators at the stage of milk maturity are excellent.
Amero
The variety is decorative even at the stage of a green plant. Long, variegated leaves are colored with yellow, red and pink hues. Amero looks good in group plantings. Designers recommend masking unsightly buildings and outbuildings behind the colorful hedges of such corn. A good solution would be a group planting of Amero in an open area, a lawn, which will give the garden a tropical look.
The cobs are multi-colored, have an unusual pearl tint. Unripe grains contain little starch compared to other ornamental varieties, so they remain soft longer when ripe.
Magic kaleidoscope
The stems of a tall variety of ornamental corn grow up to 1,8 m. The culture is resistant to major diseases and pests of cereals. Line plantings make beautiful temporary hedges that do not require special care.
The grains of one cob can have shades of any color, combined with each other arbitrarily. The starch content of the fruit is so high that it makes the ornamental variety unsuitable for eating. But thanks to this feature, designer compositions and bouquets with cobs are preserved for more than 12 months.
Rainbow
A distinctive feature of the variety is leaves with bright yellow, pink and green stripes. The stalks of ornamental corn, in good light, stretch up to 2 m. Plants perfectly decorate open areas of the garden. They are planted in groups, singly or in ribbons, like fences.
In August, cobs up to 0,5 m long are formed. Grains in one inflorescence can be of all shades of the rainbow, individual seeds have a mixed color, which explains the name of the ornamental variety. Rainbow corn is versatile, the plant is used from cooking to leaf weaving.
motley ribbon
Another variegated ornamental variety with small cobs. The plant is compact – up to 1 m in adulthood. The color of green leaves has white, pink, burgundy stripes. The rosette of young plants resembles a huge exotic flower and adorns the site from June to September. Small cylindrical cobs carry large red grains suitable for culinary use.
Corn is extremely decorative, but it is demanding on growing temperature. Germination of grains occurs actively if the soil is warmed up above 15 °C.
Mother-of-pearl miracle
The variety has a popular name – Japanese corn and is very popular with domestic gardeners. The leaves of this species are exceptionally beautiful: green plates are covered with orange, yellow, scarlet longitudinal stripes. Drooping variegated foliage adorns the garden from germination to autumn yield.
The height of the stem is up to 1,5 m, the seeds are bright red. To preserve the decorativeness of plantings, corn requires a distance of at least 45 cm between plants. The culture does not tolerate drafts, so it is not recommended to plant it in open, ventilated places.
The use of ornamental corn
Decorative corn is versatile in use. Several ways to use different parts of the plant:
- Bright foliage adorns beds and flower beds throughout the summer.
- Cobs of amazing color are added to dry bouquets, included in the decor of the premises.
- The leaves are dried for weaving, creating appliqués and artistic panels.
- The apical spikelets are also decorative. Bouquets of them can serve as an interior decoration for more than six months.
Shading of plantings of ornamental corn with tall plantations or buildings is unacceptable. When planting near flowers or vegetable crops, take into account that the growing bushes also obscure the sun.
The beauty of certain types of cereals does not negate their nutritional value. Ornamental types of corn are used as usual: for cooking or as pet food.
To eat milk cobs, they are boiled for about an hour and served with butter, salt or without additives. Ripe, hard grains are ground into flour for use in baking. Ornamental varieties can color baked goods in a variety of colors. So the addition of strawberry corn flour gives the dough a pleasant pink tint.
When and how to plant ornamental corn
Agrotechnics for growing ornamental varieties of corn is similar to fodder and sugar varieties. The main difference comes from the thermophilicity of bright plants with colorful grains. This feature requires the seedling method to be used when growing in areas with cool, short summers. So it is possible to prolong the growing season and get ripe ears before a steady cold snap.
Stages of growing seedlings of ornamental corn:
- To preserve the delicate roots when transferred to the garden, peat pots are harvested for planting.
- The soil mixture should be light, consisting of garden soil, sand, compost with the addition of wood ash.
- The grains are heated in the sun for several days, and then soaked for a day.
- Place 2-3 seeds in each glass.
- Before germination, it is important to keep the room temperature around + 18 °C.
Emerging shoots are watered as the soil dries. As they grow, thin, weak seedlings are removed – only one sprout should be left per pot. It is possible to take out corn to a permanent place not earlier than the soil in the beds or flower beds warms up to + 13 ° C.
Strawberry corn, when grown from seeds in a seedless way, is prepared in a standard way: warming up and soaking for swelling. The soil for planting should be dug up, fertilized, loosened. Holes for corn are placed at a distance of 40 cm. When planting in several lines, 60 cm are left between the rows, since the Strawberry variety requires good ventilation for high-quality pollination.
Ornamental Corn Care
If the place is chosen correctly: there is enough sunlight and there are no cold drafts, then planting care will be minimal.
Necessary activities:
- Watering. Produced as the soil dries up. With each watering, at least 10 liters of water are added under the plant.
- Top dressing. Irrigation is often combined with soil fertilization. Complex preparations are mixed with water for irrigation according to the instructions.
- Removing weeds contributes to the harmonious development of ornamental species. Therefore, the beds should be kept clean or mulched.
Ornamental corn is fertilized at least twice per season: during flowering and after the formation of young cobs. For such top dressing, 1 tsp is enough. nitroammofoski per plant, diluted with 10 liters of water. Ornamental varieties of corn are very sensitive to soil acidity. If necessary, restore the neutrality of the soil, in autumn or spring, calcium preparations or slaked lime are added for digging.
With a lack of phosphorus, the leaves turn brown; without nitrogen, they begin to shrivel. A lack of potassium will manifest itself with “burned” edges, dried brown lower leaves.
Emerging side shoots on the trunk should be carefully removed. Strawberry corn and any type of ornamental cereal is periodically treated with systemic fungicides to prevent pest attacks.
Conclusion
Decorative corn, in addition to its direct purpose as a valuable food product, also performs an aesthetic role. Bushes of many varieties are so beautiful and unusual that they can decorate the best greenhouses and parks. Colored grains delight with the unexpectedness of shades and are able to surprise even experienced gardeners every season.
