(Zea mays); flint corn; a Slow Food Ark of Taste variety; 70 days; Minimum 20 grams (~100 seeds)
This short season corn variety is named after the Gaspé peninsula of Quebec. (see map below). The earliest maturing 8 row flint corn, it originates with Mi’kmaq of the Canadian Maritimes and North Atlantic Shores. Fields of this corn variety were observed by the French explorer, Jacques Cartier in 1534. Traditionally its dry kernels are soaked then added to stews.
Gaspé's short plants reaching a height of 2 – 2.5 foot. When direct seeding on May 23 2020 here in southeast Michigan (our soil temperature registered 68° F), it tassels within 30 days. Being so early, it easily avoids crossing with our more traditional corn. The small cobs measure only 3-4″ long.
I planted this corn roughly 8 inches apart in rows 9 inches apart to form at a minimum a 5 ft by 5 ft block with some that were longer.
Our original seed stock from John Sherck of Sherck Seeds. His 4 strain composite was created by growing out seeds over several seasons from:
- Original strain BC Canada
- Abundant Life Seed Foundation Strain
- Strain from Vermont
- WI Canadian strain from Heritage Harvest
With cobs being only a few inches off the ground, prepare to defend your crop from critters large and small.
