How to Grow Honey and Cream Corn
Wikimedia Commons
Honey and Cream Corn
Zea mays
vegetableHoney and Cream is a bicolor sweet corn variety that produces ears with alternating rows of yellow and white kernels, offering a sweet, tender flavor. This hybrid corn grows 6-8 feet tall and matures relatively quickly for a sweet corn variety. It's a popular choice for home gardeners and farmers markets due to its attractive appearance and excellent taste.
When should you plant Honey and Cream Corn in your zone?
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Example Honey and Cream Corn timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Honey and Cream 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 Honey and Cream Corn
Around Jun 28≈ 72 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Honey and Cream Corn dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 3-8; grows well across most of North America
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Seedling
1-2 weeksSmall sprouts emerge with first and second leaves visible; plant stands 3-6 inches tall
Keep soil consistently moist. Thin seedlings if direct-seeded to proper spacing. Watch for cutworms and birds. Mulch lightly to retain moisture.
Vegetative Growth
3-4 weeksRapid leaf development with 6-10 leaves visible; plant grows 12-36 inches tall; roots deepen
Maintain even moisture and steady feeding. Apply nitrogen fertilizer when plants reach 12 inches. Hill soil around base for support. Monitor for armyworms.
Tasseling & Silking
2-3 weeksMale tassel emerges from top of plant; female silks appear on ear nodes. Plant reaches 5-7 feet tall. Critical stage for pollination.
Ensure consistent water supply (1.5-2 inches weekly). Apply second fertilizer application. This is the most water-critical stage. Provide support if winds are strong. Avoid disturbing roots.
Ear Development & Kernel Fill
2-3 weeksSilks begin to brown and dry; kernels develop and fill with milk. Ears feel fuller when squeezed. Kernels progress from milky to creamy stage.
Maintain steady moisture through milk stage. Reduce nitrogen feeding. Check ears for pests. Silks drying is normal; browning should progress from tip downward.
Harvest Ready
Peak window: 2-3 daysSilks are completely brown and dried. Kernels are plump, milky, and creamy. Ears feel full and slightly soft when squeezed.
Harvest when silk is completely brown and kernels release milky fluid when punctured. Bicolor varieties like Honey and Cream peak for only 2-3 days; harvest immediately at peak ripeness.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray on young plants. Plant resistant varieties. Remove and destroy affected plant parts. Maintain garden sanitation.
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Apply Bt spray targeting young larvae. Hand-pick affected ears. Encourage parasitic wasps. Oil-based sprays on silks at emergence can prevent entry.
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Monitor for early infestations. Apply Bt or spinosad-based products. Remove heavily affected plants. Encourage beneficial insects.
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Use row covers on seedlings. Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap for heavy infestations. Minimize plantings near weeds where beetles overwinter.
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Spray with strong water stream. Use insecticidal soap or neem oil. Encourage ladybugs and parasitic wasps. Monitor leaf undersides regularly.
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Increase humidity. Spray foliage with water. Apply miticide if infestation is severe. Encourage natural predators like phytoseiulus mites.
Uses
Fresh Eating & Cooking
CulinaryHoney and Cream is prized for eating fresh off the cob, with a sweet, tender flavor combining yellow and white kernels. The bicolor presentation is visually striking at the dinner table. Best used within hours of harvest for peak sweetness and texture. [source]
Corn Salads & Sides
CulinaryCut kernels work beautifully in cold salads, corn salsa, succotash, and cooked vegetable medleys, where the two colors provide visual appeal and complementary texture. The kernels retain a tender crunch when properly cooked. [source]
Preserving & Storage
CulinaryKernels can be blanched and frozen, dried for later grinding, or canned for long-term storage. Freezing preserves flavor and sweetness better than canning for eating fresh kernels. [source]
Garden Ornament & Farmers Market Appeal
HouseholdThe distinctive bicolor kernels make Honey and Cream a photogenic variety for market displays and farm stands, commanding premium prices due to visual appeal and reputation for flavor. [source]
Wildlife Food & Habitat
WildlifeLeft-standing stalks after harvest provide cover and seeds for fall and winter wildlife. Some gardeners leave mature ears on the stalk for birds and small mammals. [source]
Harvest Tips
Harvest when silks are completely brown and dry (typically 20 days after silking begins). Test kernel ripeness by piercing with fingernail—milky fluid should release. Bicolor corn like Honey and Cream has a very narrow 2-3 day harvest window before kernels become starchy; harvest early morning for best flavor and tenderness. Gently twist ears 90 degrees and pull downward to detach from stalk. Handle carefully to avoid damaging kernel rows. Use immediately or refrigerate in husks for up to 3 days.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Honey and Cream corn represents a successful cross between yellow and white corn varieties, combining the natural sweetness of both. The bicolor appearance comes from alternating kernels of different maturation patterns on the cob.
- 🌱 Sweet corn loses about 50% of its sugars within 24 hours of harvest, converting them to starch. This is why Honey and Cream tastes sweetest when eaten within hours of picking—many gardeners run straight from field to pot!
- 🌱 Corn 'silks' are actually the stigma of the female flower; each silk connects to a single kernel, and pollen must reach each silk for that kernel to develop. A single ear can have 400-600+ silks.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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