SPERLI Popcornmais Nana F1

Popcorn from your own garden: Nana F1 popcorn maize grows to around 2 m, suits containers and raised beds too, and ripens in September and October.

The story

Origins & history

Maize comes from southern Mexico, where it was bred from the wild grass teosinte around 9,000 years ago. Popcorn is one of the oldest forms of maize: remains of popcorn several thousand years old have been found in Peru. Maize reached Europe with Columbus.

Uses

The cobs stay on the plant until fully ripe and then finish drying in an airy place. Only then do the kernels pop in a hot pan: the water inside turns to steam and bursts the hard shell. Maize is wind-pollinated; planted in blocks, the plants pollinate one another better than in a single row.

Meaning

In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, the gods shape humankind from maize dough. To this day maize is far more than a food in Central America.

A thought for giving

A popcorn kernel already carries its transformation within – it only needs enough warmth for it to happen. A gift for people who blossom when they are shown warmth.

At a glance

• Contents: 1 packet for approx. 30 plants
• Botanical name: Zea mays
• Life cycle: annual
• Height: 200 cm
• Position: sunny, partial shade
• Suitable for containers: yes (raised bed, container)
• Sow indoors: March–April
• Sow outdoors: May–July
• Harvest: September–October
• Sowing depth: 3–4 cm
• Germination temperature: 15–25 °C
• Germination time: 7–14 days
• Plant spacing: 30 cm
• Row spacing: 80 cm
• Seed type: loose seed
• F1 hybrid: yes

How to sow

1. Sow indoors in March and April in Jiffy pots (Jiffy-Quelltöpfe), 3–4 cm deep; sow directly outdoors from May to July.
2. At 15–25 °C the seeds germinate in 7–14 days.
3. Plant in sun or partial shade, 30 cm apart with 80 cm between rows, ideally in blocks.
4. Peat-free vegetable compost (Gemüseerde torffrei) and vegetable fertiliser (Gemüse-Dünger) give the tall plants a good footing.

Delivery time: 1–2 weeks. Manufacturer: SPERLI GmbH. Seeds, not a plant – the image shows the original packet.

Discover more seeds