Read 'How to Choose Corn for the Home Garden' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

As lovers of corn of the cob we remember well the first time we had Silver King a white corn that was tender, sweet, white and so delicious. Then another white corn, Silver Queen, came on the scene and we thought it even more tender, sweet, and delicious. Since then we have been stuck in the rut of only buying white corn and trying to find Silver Queen but there is a lot more to tenderness and sweetness of corn than Silver Queen can deliver.

Firstly, the color of the corn is not an indicator of tenderness or sweetness. Yellow and bicolor corns can be just as tender as white corn. Second, there are many kinds of corn that are far more tender and sweeter than Silver Queen or King. They fall into one of four categories;

1. Regular sweet corns (abrev. SU): These are sweet corns but the sweetness is rapidly lost as sugar is turned to starch once the kernels are mature and so the corn must be harvested and eaten quickly to enjoy the sweetness. Example Silver Queen (white).

2. Sugar enhanced corns ( abrev. SE): These corns are sweeter than regular sweet corn (SU) but the sweetness lasts longer. They are unsurpassed in tenderness and have a creamy texture. Growing this kind of corn benefits from isolating them from any other corns you might grow, but isolation is not absolutely necessary for success. Example: ‘Bodacious’(yellow).

3. Supersweet corns (abrev. SH2): These are very sweet corns, in fact, twice as sweet as regular corn. The sweetness and tenderness last for up to 2 weeks so the time of harvest and time in the refrigerator is more flexible than regular sweet corn or sugar enhanced corn. Because the kernels are filled with sugar rather than starch the seed will be shriveled and lighter than other corns and this should be taken into consideration when buying seed. The disadvantages of this corn is that they must be planted in warm soil (65 F or warmer) and must be isolated from other kinds of corn to prevent cross pollination that will seriously effect quality. Example:’ Obsession’(bicolor).

4. TripleSweet corns: These corns combine the best qualities of the supersweet and sugar enhanced corns. They are the sweetest corns, are exceptionally tender, and have a crunchy texture. Their sweetness and tenderness are long lasting and they do not have to be grown in isolation. Example: ‘Serendipity Hybrid (bicolor).

If you are interested in growing these extra sweet corns read the backs of the seed packets to find those that have these qualities. If you have a feed store in your neighborhood try there; they will probably have cultivars that are most suitable for your growing conditions.

Read 'How to Buy Pumpkins for Halloween and Thanksgiving' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

A visit to the local farmers’ market or local pumpkin patch in the fall reveals a big selection of pumpkins for sale. The selection is also varied so whether you want an ornamental pumpkin for holiday decorations or one for making pies, muffins, soup, or other goodies you, should be able to find what you want. But always remember, the “pumpkins” you see are not all really pumpkins; some are squash and many are gourds.

'Howden'

The biggest and most important differences between ornamental pumpkins and culinary pumpkins regard water content and sugar content. Ornamental pumpkins contain more water and less sugar than culinary pumpkins. Both can be used for cooking and eating, but the decorative pumpkins will require more sugar and longer cooking time to compensate for these chemical differences. In addition, the appearance of the pumpkins may be different; ornamental pumpkins are usually an attractive orange color while many of the culinary pumpkins are tan.

'Cinderella'

When choosing a culinary pumpkin, availability will probably be the most limiting factor so you will not have a huge choice. Small pumpkins good for cooking include ‘Small Sugar’ and ‘Winter Luxury’. ‘Small Sugar’ has attractive orange color, and dense, dry, stringless flesh while ‘Winter luxury’ has a white net over its orange skin, and smooth, silky flesh. Larger cultivars good for cooking include ‘Cheese’, ‘Golden Cushaw’, and ‘Cinderella’. ‘Cinderella’ has an advantage of being very attractive with its orange red skin and Cinderella-carriage shape. You can calculate the size of the pumpkin to buy by considering that one pound of raw, untrimmed pumpkin will yield one cup finished pumpkin puree.

When buying ornamental pumpkins you have many more options to consider. First, consider how you plan to use the pumpkin; jack o lantern, painted, just the way it comes off the vine. The use may influence what pumpkin will best meet your expectations. Ornamental pumpkins come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors. Pumpkins may be as small as a few ounces or over 1700 pounds with most falling in the 10-20 pound range. They can be round, or tall and oval. Although orange is the most common color, red , white, and bluish-green are possible. Ornamental pumpkins also vary in texture so if you plan to paint the pumpkin, pick one that is smooth and not heavily ribbed.

'Baby Boo'

Regardless of what kind of pumpkin you buy make sure that you have a good one that is not rotting. The skin should be bruise free; especially check the bottom of the pumpkin where animal pests may have attacked and pierced the skin letting in bacteria that will rot the flesh. Shake the pumpkin and if you hear anything sloshing inside, don’t buy it; it is probably already rotting. Make sure that it has a healthy looking stem because a damaged stem area is another place where bacteria may enter. Lopsided or rolling will not matter for a culinary pumpkin but could be a problem for an ornamental one

'Turk's Turban'

“What about all those oddly shaped and colored pumpkins?” you ask. They are probably gourds. They are very similar to pumpkins but are not edible and many can be dried for long-term use. Some have warts but many are smooth. They, too, make wonderful fall holiday decorations and are usually used as they come from the vine, with a coat of preservative on them to make them shiny, or painted. Check for bruises and signs of decay just as you would do when buying a pumpkin (but dry material rattling inside is OK).

A visit to a pumpkin patch or farmers’ market to look at all the wonderful choices, is one of my favorite fall activities. I am always inspired to grow some in my vegetable garden and have even saved seeds from my favorite pumpkins and gourds so I can have them again next year. Saving seed does not seem to work as they are hybrids and don’t come true. Besides, if I grow them I don’t have a good excuse for a visit to the pumpkin patch.