How to Grow Bicolor Incredible Corn
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Bicolor Incredible Corn
Zea mays var. saccharata
vegetableBicolor Incredible is a sweet corn variety that produces ears with a mix of white and yellow kernels, offering a visually striking appearance and sweet flavor. This open-pollinated variety is known for its tender kernels and excellent taste, making it a favorite for fresh eating and home gardens. The stalks typically reach 6-7 feet tall and produce 1-2 ears per plant.
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Example Bicolor Incredible Corn timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Bicolor Incredible Corn
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Bicolor Incredible Corn
Around Jun 26≈ 70 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Bicolor Incredible Corn dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 3-9, with best performance in zones 5-8
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Germination & Emergence
7-14 daysSeeds germinate in warm soil (60-70°F minimum, optimal 70-85°F). Seedlings emerge with a single leaf spike within 7-10 days.
Plant after soil reaches 60°F. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Thin seedlings if direct seeding; maintain 8-inch spacing.
Vegetative Growth
3-4 weeksPlant rapidly grows, developing additional leaves and establishing a strong root system. Stalks thicken and reach 2-4 feet tall by 4-5 weeks.
Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer at 4-6 leaf stage and again at 12 inches tall. Provide consistent water. Watch for early pest pressure.
Tasseling & Silking
7-14 daysMale tassels appear at the top of the stalk. Female silks emerge from the ear husks 1-3 days later. Pollen sheds and pollination occurs.
Critical watering period—provide 1.5 inches weekly. Maintain consistent moisture to prevent kernel abortion. Watch for spider mites and corn borers.
Ear Development & Milk Stage
2-3 weeksEars fill with developing kernels. Milk stage begins when kernels release milky liquid when punctured. Kernels transition from clear to opaque.
Continue consistent watering. Avoid nitrogen overfeeding, which can reduce sweetness. Monitor for late-season pests and diseases.
Maturity & Harvest
1-2 weeksKernels reach full plump size with a slight depression at the tip. Silks brown and dry. Ears are ready for harvest when kernels release creamy liquid when pierced.
Harvest at peak sweetness for best flavor. Pick in early morning when sugars are highest. Use fresh or refrigerate immediately to preserve sweetness.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) when silks first appear. Plant trap crops of sorghum. Remove infested ears. Hand-pick visible worms.
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Use Bt sprays at early whorl stage. Remove and destroy infected plant material. Rotate crop location annually. Plant resistant varieties.
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Spray with water to dislodge. Use neem oil or insecticidal soap if infestation is severe. Maintain adequate irrigation to reduce stress.
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Use reflective mulches. Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings.
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Remove and destroy galls before they rupture. Improve air circulation. Avoid wounding plants. Rotate crops and remove plant debris.
Uses
Fresh eating and cooking
CulinaryBicolor Incredible corn is prized for fresh consumption due to its superior sweetness and tender kernels. Perfect for boiling, grilling, or cutting off the cob for salads and side dishes. [source]
Corn on the cob
CulinaryThe tender, juicy kernels of Bicolor Incredible are ideal for serving whole ears boiled or grilled with butter and seasonings. [source]
Preserving and freezing
CulinaryWhile best eaten fresh, the kernels can be blanched and frozen for later use in soups, stews, and casseroles, retaining good flavor and texture. [source]
Garden succession planting
HouseholdBicolor Incredible's 70-80 day maturity allows for successive plantings every 2-3 weeks in appropriate zones, ensuring a continuous harvest throughout the season. [source]
Pollinator support
WildlifeThe corn plant's tassels and silks provide nectar and pollen resources for bees and other beneficial insects during mid to late summer. [source]
Harvest Tips
Harvest when ears are firm and husks are bright green. Silks should be brown and dry. Kernels should be in milk stage—puncture a kernel and a milky liquid should release. Twist and pull the ear downward. Harvest in early morning for peak sweetness and immediately refrigerate or use fresh. Bicolor Incredible is best within 1-2 hours of picking.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Bicolor corn kernels get their color from different pigment genes—yellow kernels contain carotenoids while white kernels lack this pigment, creating a beautiful visual contrast.
- 🌱 Sweet corn is harvested at the milk stage because that's when sugar content is highest; after this point, sugars rapidly convert to starch and the corn becomes less sweet.
- 🌱 A single corn plant can produce silk strands that are 6-8 inches long, and each silk must be pollinated by a pollen grain for a kernel to develop—unpollenated silks result in missing kernels on the cob.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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