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SeedStepsYour vegetable garden, one step at a time.My gardenRed-purple stems, leaves and cobs make Double Red a sweetcorn variety that also colours the garden. Choose Double Red if the entire maize crop should be a feature rather than colour only in the kernels.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.
Start under cover in warmth · Sweetcorn
April–MayStart indoors in warmth and reserve enough bright space for raising plants.
Do not leave young sweetcorn in small pots too long. Popcorn needs enough season for cobs to ripen and dry.
Royal Horticultural Society · RHS — suikermais kweken ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.
University of Minnesota Extension · UMN Extension — suikermais in de moestuin ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.
Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.
The source context and any limitations are in the background information at the bottom.
Compare with another varietyEen eigen zoetheidsprofiel is niet beschreven. Eet de kolven als suikermaïs in de jonge melkrijpe fase, wanneer de algemene gewassmaak het prettigst is.
This flavour description applies to the crop; a separate taste test for this variety is not supported by evidence.Kook of grill jonge kolven, of snijd verse korrels los voor een maaltijd. Droge rode korrels zijn een ander product dan verse suikermaïs.
Why choose it? Choose Double Red if the entire maize crop should be a feature rather than colour only in the kernels.
The options below belong to the plant. From these, choose the method that suits your variety's growth habit.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
A square or rectangular group generally pollinates better than one narrow, long row. Reserve enough sun for every plant.
For the best chance of well-filled cobs in a sunny vegetable garden.
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This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Een compact ras kan in zeer grote containers groeien, maar één losse plant bestuift slecht. Zet meerdere ruim geplante potten samen als klein blok.
For a spacious, sunny patio, not a single small balcony pot.
Tick off your supplies →Red-purple stems, leaves and cobs make Double Red a sweetcorn variety that also colours the garden.
Choose Double Red if the entire maize crop should be a feature rather than colour only in the kernels.
Een eigen zoetheidsprofiel is niet beschreven. Eet de kolven als suikermaïs in de jonge melkrijpe fase, wanneer de algemene gewassmaak het prettigst is.
Kook of grill jonge kolven, of snijd verse korrels los voor een maaltijd. Droge rode korrels zijn een ander product dan verse suikermaïs.
Provide a sunny block and sufficient feed. Position lower vegetables so they do not disappear completely beneath the maize.
Assess milk-stage ripeness independently of red colour. Harvest for eating before kernels dry and harden.
Golden Bantam: A classic open-pollinated yellow sweetcorn with medium-sized cobs: particularly appealing if you prepare the harvest fresh straight away. Boil or grill a freshly picked cob and eat it the same day. Waiting a long time reduces the sweetness of traditional sweetcorn.
Young kernels at the milky stage are described as meltingly tender and sweet. The best eating stage is shorter than the period during which the cob still looks attractive.
Mezdi: A mid-early Sativa cultivar focused on sweetcorn cob quality, with better retention of sweetness after harvest. Boil or grill the young cobs; process surplus soon after harvest for storage to preserve fresh quality.
The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections.
Martian Purple: Sweetcorn with purplish-red plants and reddish-purple kernels, selected from Double Red; colour is part of the crop's appearance here too. Boil or grill young cobs and taste them fresh. The striking colour makes the harvest special even before cooking.
No specific sweetness comparison is given. The general sweetcorn flavour belongs to harvesting at the milky stage, not to fully dried purple kernels.
Inca Rainbow: A vigorous sweetcorn selection with white, yellow, red and dark kernels on plants about 1.5–2 metres tall. Boil a young cob or cut off milky-stage kernels for a cooked vegetable dish. If desired, keep a few dry cobs as a reminder of the garden.
The source describes sweetcorn but gives no separate ranking of sweetness. Colour variation does not prove that every kernel tastes different.
Fodder maize, popcorn and sweetcorn are grown for different harvests. Choose a cultivar offered as sweetcorn for fresh use. Earliness matters in a Dutch garden: an impressively tall, late plant may still fail to produce ripe cobs before cool autumn weather.
Start indoors in spring when you can move the plants outside in good time later. Individual deep pots limit root disturbance. A sowing depth of about 2–3 cm is usual; follow the packet. Provide plenty of light after emergence and avoid plants growing on for weeks until pot-bound.
Maize does not tolerate frost. Alongside calendar advice, wait for warmed soil and a favourable forecast. Harden plants off and set the rootball at about the same depth. Water straight away; temporary cold protection needs daytime checks for overheating.
The tassel at the top produces pollen. Each silk by the cob leads to a developing kernel. Wind carries the pollen. This makes several short rows useful, and missing kernels may fit incomplete pollination or unfavourable weather during flowering.
With some sweet maize types, cross-pollination with other maize can affect the quality of the current kernels. Check the seed guidance for recommendations on isolation. In a small garden, preferably sow one suitable type rather than several alongside one another without growing information.
Provide enough water, particularly during flowering and cob filling. Check below the surface before watering and avoid prolonged waterlogging. Root space dries out faster in containers. Mature compost or suitable feed supports growth; extra fertiliser does not replace good pollination.
Wind can tip plants over; a sheltered spot and light support around the outside may help. If cobs fill poorly, assess layout, simultaneous flowering and drought. Do not remove tassels during flowering. Diseased or rotting cobs do not belong in the edible harvest.
Browning silks are a clue, not complete proof. Check a cob: the kernels are well filled and release milky sap when lightly damaged. Clear liquid indicates an earlier stage; a doughy content indicates a later one. Hold the plant while twisting the cob off.
Harvest just before preparing when possible; sweetness changes after picking. Store cobs briefly in cool conditions if you cannot eat them straight away. Record which plants were ripe: next year you can see whether the cultivar and sowing time suit your space.
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SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.
Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.
Supporting evidence by chapter: Why grow Double Red?: Feggies, Kokopelli. How this choice tastes: Feggies, Kokopelli. From harvest to kitchen: Feggies, Kokopelli. What needs attention when growing: Feggies, Kokopelli. Choose by flavour, shape and use: Feggies, Feggies, Feggies, Feggies. Not all maize is sweetcorn: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Provide warmth without starting too early: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Frost-free also means warm soil: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. The tassel and silks work together: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Take care when growing different maize types: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Do not let cob formation dry out: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Investigating leaning plants and empty cobs: .
Hoofdkleur: red-purple stems, leaves and cobs; red seeds Beschrijving van de genoemde rasbron; geen eigen tuinwaarneming. Feggies, Kokopelli