Garden Notes: Growing Kandy Korn Sweet Corn

An attractive and flavorful sugary enhanced corn that’s great for home gardeners

Kandy Korn sweet corn is actually quite attractive

This season I tried growing Kandy Korn sweet corn in the main vegetable garden. I wasn’t familiar with the variety, but apparently it’s a hybrid developed for home gardeners and small farms. It’s been around since the 1970s, bred by Northrup King seed company (now part of Ag-giant Syngenta), and it’s what’s known as an SE—or sugary enhanced—type of sweet corn. That means it holds its sweetness longer than old-fashioned varieties, but doesn’t have the extra sugar boost (or fussiness) of supersweet types.

Growth Habit

The plants grew around 7 to 8 feet tall. One of the first things I noticed was the foliage. The leaves had a purplish tint, almost like Swiss chard, and the same color carried through the husks and tassels. It made for a good-looking plant, which isn’t something you usually say about corn.

The purple hue of the leaves and husks makes it a garden standout

Color and Flavor

Each stalk produced one or two ears (a few had 3, but they were midget ears), usually around 8 to 9 inches long. The kernels were a deep yellow and formed about 14 to 16 tight, uniform rows. When picked at the right time, the corn was genuinely sweet with a nice creamy texture. One of the pleasant surprises was how well it held up after harvest. Even after sitting in the refrigerator for a week, the ears stayed tender—not something I’ve found to be true with other SE types, which can sometimes go starchy pretty fast.

From seed to harvest, the whole process took 82 days. That’s pretty much in line with what the seed packet claimed (81 days). I planted it in early spring and had a second round already in the ground by midsummer. Given how well the first batch turned out, I’m expecting a similar result.

Fresh picked Kandy Korn

Overall, Kandy Korn seems like a solid choice if you’re looking for a dependable mid-season sweet corn with good flavor and visual appeal. It’s not finicky, doesn’t require any special treatment, and holds up well after picking.

Despite the name (I think candy corn is gross), if you’re looking for a good, flavorful, no fuss sweet corn, I definitely recommend it.