GOLDCREST SWEETCORN

By David Marks
This variety of Sweetcorn was first available in the UK in 2008 but is only recently catching on as a variety worth growing. It's a supersweet type which has specific advantages and disadvantages.

We grew 30 Goldcrest sweetcorn on our allotment in 2019 to test it out. Because it’s a supersweet variety it was the only variety we grew that year.

It’s OK but not a variety we would particularly recommend. It’s slightly less sweet compared to many other varieties and less juicy.

APPEARANCE, TASTE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF GOLDCREST SWEETCORN

Goldcrest was awarded an RHS AGM in 2016. We trialed it on our allotment in 2019 and judged it to be average rather than outstanding.

Goldcrest Sweet corn with foliage

POSITIVE POINTS FOR GOLDCREST SWEETCORN

Definitely a sweet taste but not as sweet as Lark, Sparrow or Swift.
The skin of individual corns is of medium thickness and they are slightly smaller than average. Overall appearance is excellent with a good yellow colour when raw and cooked.
From sowing seed to maturity takes on average 80 days which makes this a mid-season variety
Once established the plants grow strongly. These are quite tall sweet corn plants and may need support if windy conditions are likely.
Each plant produces one decent sized cob and one smaller one, this was in the West Midlands.
The individual corns fill the whole of the cob, right down to the end which partly compensates for the shorter length of the cob at around 20cm.

NEGATIVE POINTS FOR GOLDCREST SWEETCORN

Because this is a supersweet variety it should not be grown near to other non-supersweet varieties to avoid cross-pollination which would affect the ripening and taste of the cobs
With this variety the seeds need to be sown at the correct time, at the correct depth and in the correct temperature. They are more temperamental than most because each seed has so little starch in it (it is mainly sugar) – starch provides energy for the seed to grow and with minimal starch the seeds need to get off to a good start.

WHEN TO PLANT GOLDCREST SWEETCORN

To get the growing conditions in the UK correct for the seeds we strongly suggest the you sow them in individual pots indoors. Timing of sowing the seeds and planting outside is also important.

The seed sowing and planting out dates shown below are correct for the UK average. If you want them to be even more accurate and adjusted for your area of the UK click here. It only takes a minute and the adjustment affects every date in this site and lasts for six months.

Sow seeds of Goldcrest indoors during the third week of April (UK average). Plant out the seedlings during the third week of May.

Full details for when, where and how to sow sweetcorn seeds can be found here and more information on their ongoing care throughout the growing season can be found here.

BUYING GOLDCREST SWEETCORN SEEDS IN THE UK

This variety of sweetcorn is not yet commonly found in garden centres but it is readily available from online seed merchants. Because of the delicacy of the seeds we strongly suggest buying the seeds only from specialist seed merchants which you trust. We would avoid buying them from online general retailers such as as Amazon or E-bay unless you know exactly who is supplying the seed.

SUMMARY OF GOLDCREST

USE: Eaten lightly cooked

TYPE: Mid season maturing variety

SKIN COLOUR / TEXTURE: Good yellow coloured cobs with reasonably sweet, small corns

STORAGE: Keeps in the fridge for five days or so, but tastes best if eaten fresh or within 24 hours. Freezes well

COB SIZE: Medium sized, 20cm / 8in

REGULARITY OF CROPPING: Regularly produces a good yield once established

AWARDS: RHS Award of Garden Merit

SPECIAL FEATURES: None.

MORE PAGES ABOUT GROWING SWEET CORN:

Growing Sweetcorn

Sowing Sweetcorn

Caring for Sweetcorn

Recommended varieties

Pests and diseases

Sweetcorn Questions and Answers