I plan to grow popcorn and white sweet corn this year. Time-wise, how far apart should I plant them so that they don't interfere with each other? I can't vary how far apart (feet-wise) the varieties will be but they will be fairly close (20 feet or less).

The popcorn is this variety: https://www.harrisseeds.com/pr... I haven't bought the sweet corn yet but I'm thinking Silver King this year.

Silver King is a very good Se type. DTM is about 85 days. The only DTM I could find for Mushroom popcorn is 105 days. You should be able to plant them simultaneously and have tasseling (and harvest) about a month apart. The important thing is to have separate tasseling events.

If I understand the math it sounds like I could even plant Silver King a little earlier than the pop corn. Maybe as much as 2 weeks? Especially when you consider I don't need to harvest popcorn until maybe early October.

Agreed

Just an FYI for anyone reading this thread later, I looked at my log from last year. I only grew yellow sweet corn. I bought it from a 5 gallon bucket at the farmer's co-op. I think it might have been Illinois Super Sweet. I planted it May 5 and I began putting mineral oil on the silk July 4 which is about 5 days after silk appears. I began to harvest July 17. So roughly 2 months from planting to tasseling.

I'll record this year's stats for both varieties so I'll know better next time.

Well I just saw on the news that we are due for a double whammy of cicadas this year. The 13 and 17 year broods are both due to emerge this spring. I distinctly remember them 26 years ago when I was building a deck around a new swimming pool. It was deafening. I wonder what effect they will have on my corn.

Cicada adults don't eat. They mate and lay eggs in woody twigs.

Just took a peek. Abundant cicadas to eat may cause birds to eat fewer other insects for the weeks of cicada activity. That might mean more caterpillars on corn?

Maybe on the caterpillars but I finally learned how to use mineral oil last year and it worked great.