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How to Grow Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream

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Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream

Zea mays subsp. mays

vegetable

'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream is a bicolor sweet corn variety featuring kernels of creamy white and golden yellow on the same cob. It is prized for its exceptional sweetness, tender texture, and classic corn flavor. This hybrid variety matures mid-season and produces tall, vigorous plants with 8-inch ears.

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Example Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)

  1. Plant Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream

    Around Apr 17

    Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.

  2. Tend & protect

    Late spring–summer

    Watering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.

  3. Harvest Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream

    Around Jun 28

    ≈ 72 days after planting

Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Corn 'Silver Queen' Honey & Cream dates for your own zip code.

Growing Conditions

☀️
Sun: Full sun, 8+ hours daily
💧
Water: Consistent moisture; 1-1.5 inches per week. Keep soil evenly moist, especially during tasseling and silking stages. Avoid waterlogging.
📏
Spacing: 8 inches
📅
Days to maturity: 72-80 days
🌱
Planting depth: 1.5

Soil

Type: Rich, well-draining loamy soil
pH: 6.0-6.8
Amendments:
compost aged manure balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) bone meal

Growing Zones

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Thrives in zones 3-9; best in zones 5-8 with warm season

2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a

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Growth Stages

1

Germination & Seedling

10-14 days

Seeds sprout and emerge 7-10 days after planting. Seedlings develop first true leaves and reach 2-4 inches tall.

Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Provide full sun. Thin seedlings to proper spacing (8 inches apart) when 3-4 inches tall. Protect from birds and cutworms with row covers if needed.

2

Vegetative Growth

3-4 weeks

Plants rapidly grow to 12-24 inches, developing multiple leaves and establishing root systems. Tillers may form at base.

Water consistently, 1-1.5 inches weekly. Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer at 4-6 weeks to encourage vigor. Remove any side shoots (tillers) for single-stalk growth and larger ears. Watch for early pest damage.

3

Tassel & Silk Emergence

2-3 weeks

Plants reach full height (6-8 feet for 'Silver Queen'). Male tassels form at top, female silks emerge from ear nodes. Plant is at peak water demand.

Critical water period: maintain consistent moisture (do not let soil dry out). Apply thick mulch to conserve water. Pollination is wind-driven; avoid spraying during this stage. Continue monitoring for pests and disease.

4

Kernel Development & Maturation

3-4 weeks

Silks brown and dry. Kernels fill with milk stage (soft, milky juice when pierced), progressing to full size. Ears become plump and kernels are tender and sweet.

Maintain steady water supply to prevent starch buildup and tough kernels. Reduce nitrogen fertilizer. Monitor kernels daily by pulling back husk to check maturity. Ears are ready 20-24 days after silks appear.

5

Harvest Readiness

Ready to harvest

Kernels reach milk/dough stage (ideal for 'Silver Queen'). Husks are tight and green; silks are brown and dry. Kernels are plump, creamy-textured, and at peak sweetness.

Harvest in early morning when sugar content is highest. Refrigerate immediately after picking to preserve sweetness and texture. For succession, plant new seeds every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest. Use or freeze within 24 hours of picking for best flavor.

Companion Planting

Plan your garden →

Plant with:

beans peas squash cucumber pumpkin lettuce radish parsley marjoram

Avoid planting near:

brassicas (cabbage, broccoli) fennel tomato peppers

Common Pests

  • Remove infested plant material; apply Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) when silk first emerges; use pheromone traps to monitor; plant resistant varieties if available

  • Handpick caterpillars from developing ears; apply mineral oil or Bt to silks at dent stage; plant earlier to avoid peak egg-laying; use row covers on young plants

  • Spray with water to dislodge; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil if severe; encourage beneficial insects; avoid excess nitrogen fertilizer

  • Remove infected galls before they break open; improve drainage and air circulation; avoid wounding plants; resistant varieties available

  • Apply cardboard collars around young stems; use Bt; hand-pick at night; maintain weed-free area; plant seed deeper (1.5 inches) for better protection

  • and

    Install electric fencing; plant in patches rather than rows; harvest promptly when mature; plant trap crops; use motion-activated lights or sprinklers

Uses

🍳

Fresh corn on the cob & kernels

Culinary

'Silver Queen' is prized for fresh eating boiled, grilled, or roasted with butter and seasonings. The bicolor kernels and exceptional sweetness make it ideal for corn salads, corn chowder, and creamed corn dishes. [source]

🍳

Freezing and preservation

Culinary

The tender kernels freeze exceptionally well, retaining sweetness and texture for months. Blanch, cool, cut from cob, and freeze in vacuum bags or containers for year-round enjoyment. [source]

🏠

Corn cob uses

Household

Dried corn cobs can be used as mulch, bedding for livestock, or ground into powder for various household and garden applications. [source]

🦋

Wildlife food source

Wildlife

'Silver Queen' ears attract wildlife including raccoons, deer, and birds. Leaving some unharvested ears provides natural food for beneficial creatures. [source]

🎨

Dried corn for decoration

Craft

Mature ears with dried husks and silks can be used in fall decorations, wreaths, and dried arrangements. [source]

Harvest Tips

Harvest when kernels are in the milk stage (20-24 days after silks emerge). Test by piercing a kernel with fingernail—creamy liquid should exude. Husks should be tight and green, silks brown and dry. Ears should feel plump but not hardened. Twist and pull ear sharply downward to detach. Harvest in early morning for highest sugar content. Use or refrigerate immediately—sugar converts to starch within hours of picking, reducing sweetness.

Fun Facts

  • 🌱 'Silver Queen' was introduced in 1950 and remains one of the most popular bicolor sweet corn varieties in home gardens and farmers' markets due to its exceptional sugar content and classic flavor.
  • 🌱 Sweet corn's sugars begin converting to starch immediately after harvest; this is why corn tastes sweetest when picked in early morning and used within hours—the variety name 'Honey & Cream' reflects the bicolor kernel appearance and creamy texture when cooked.
  • 🌱 Corn is a heavy feeder and nitrogen lover; historically, Native Americans planted corn, beans, and squash together (the 'three sisters'), where beans fix nitrogen in soil to feed corn, and squash provides ground cover to retain moisture.

Gardening Terms

New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:

Full Sun Hybrid Mulch Pollination Row Cover True Leaves
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