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Pencil Cob Dent Corn Seeds

Scientific name Zea mays

About this variety

Pencil Cob takes its name from an unusually slender cob carrying long, deep kernels. This Southern heirloom is valued for a hearty corn flavor and its use as roasting or creaming corn when picked young. The pale kernels can carry yellowish tones, while fully mature grain is useful for grinding. Grow it where tall stalks have room and...

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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers  |  SKU: CN46
$200 USD

At a glance

The facts most gardeners need first

View the full variety record
25 minimum seeds per packet
Germination time

7-10 days at 65-85 F seed-zone soil temperature

  • Germination
    7-10 daysa seed-zone soil temperature of 65-85 F
  • Sun
    Full sun
  • Support and spacing
    No support needed · space 12 in · rows 36 in
  • Growth habit
    Upright or erect · Annual
  • Planting season
    Late Spring · blooms Summer · Tender
Secure checkout Details
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Triple-tested seed qualityRegular quality and germination checks support every packet.

We regularly test seed quality and germination as lots move through storage and packing. We stand behind the seed we send and want customers to contact us when a packet does not perform as reasonably expected.

1-year seed warrantyCoverage begins on the date of purchase.

When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from the date of purchase. Conditions outside our control—including extreme weather, pests, unsuitable storage, and gardener error—are excluded. Contact us when something is not right so we can review the situation and work toward a replacement, refund, or another fair resolution.

Non-GMO / BE seed policyWe do not buy or sell genetically engineered or bioengineered seed.

Every seed variety we sell is non-GMO.

USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as containing detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant DNA methods in ways not achievable through conventional breeding or found in nature.

  • Hybrid means parent lines were conventionally crossed; hybrid does not mean GMO.
  • Heirloom and open-pollinated describe how a variety is maintained and reproduced.
  • Organic certification is separate and is shown only when verified for the individual product.

Read how we define heirloom, hybrid, and GMO/BE seed · USDA BE Standard

Packed in Colerain, North CarolinaPrepared in our seed room for gardens across the country.

Seeds are packed and shipped from Colerain, North Carolina. Our packets use forestry-certified paper, and we use recyclable paper mailers where appropriate. AONSK is also a 1% for the Planet partner while continuing to reduce waste in packing and fulfillment.

Garden tools

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Use the garden-fit planner and soil calculator to turn the recorded growing facts into a practical plan.

Open garden tools Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather and garden conditions may vary.

Variety field guide

What to expect from Pencil Cob Dent Corn Seeds

Pencil Cob takes its name from an unusually slender cob carrying long, deep kernels.

Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record

Pencil Cob takes its name from an unusually slender cob carrying long, deep kernels. This Southern heirloom is valued for a hearty corn flavor and its use as roasting or creaming corn when picked young. The pale kernels can carry yellowish tones, while fully mature grain is useful for grinding. Grow it where tall stalks have room and sunlight, and choose your harvest stage carefully: tender milk-stage ears for the table, hard dry kernels for storage.

A slender cob, deep kernels and old-fashioned corn flavor.

Growing facts

  • Botanical name: Zea mays
  • Maturity or display: 73-100 days depending on harvest stage; dry grain takes longer than young roasting ears
  • Mature size: Tall stalks, with height varying by conditions and strain; slender cobs
  • Spacing: 12 in between plants; rows 36 in

About the variety

Pencil Cob is a Southern dent-corn heirloom known before 1900. Its narrow cob and deep kernels made it useful as a roasting and creaming ear, while the mature grain served traditional field-corn uses. It is not a modern supersweet corn.

Starting seed

Sow 1.5 in. deep after frost in soil at least 65 F. Sprouts in 7-10 days. Thin to 12 in.; rows 36 in. Plant four or more short rows; water well through silking.

Care through the season

Choose fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Plant several adjacent short rows to keep windblown pollen within the crop. Control weeds while plants are young and maintain moisture through tasseling, silking and kernel fill. Feed according to a soil test; do not remove healthy side shoots simply because they appear.

Harvest and use

Pick milk-stage ears for roasting or creaming; let grain ears harden and dry fully before shelling. Isolate other corn and save seed from many healthy plants.

Saving seed

Corn readily crosses through windblown pollen. Separate varieties by adequate distance or by flowering periods that do not overlap; nearby large fields can overwhelm a small planting. Keep seed from many healthy, representative plants rather than one favorite ear to maintain diversity. Let seed ears become fully mature and dry, finish drying under cover, and label the cleaned seed with variety and year.

Common problems

Poor pollination or moisture stress can leave gaps in the ears. Watch for cutworms, corn earworms and stalk damage, and protect ripening ears from birds and wildlife. Rotate planting sites, keep the crop evenly watered, and dry harvested ears with good airflow to prevent mold.

Frequently asked questions

When is it ready?

73-100 days depending on harvest stage; dry grain takes longer than young roasting ears.

Why plant in a block?

Wind carries pollen from tassels to the silks. Several short rows together give more complete kernel set than an isolated long row.

Can I save seed?

Corn readily crosses through windblown pollen. Separate varieties by adequate distance or by flowering periods that do not overlap; nearby large fields can overwhelm a small planting. Keep seed from many healthy, representative plants rather than one favorite ear to maintain diversity. Let seed ears become fully mature and dry, finish drying under cover, and label the cleaned seed with variety and year.

Garden toolsOpen the garden-fit planner, planting-window questions, or soil calculator only when useful

Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather, soil, and garden conditions may vary.

Garden-fit planning for this variety

Will Pencil Cob Dent Corn Seeds fit your garden?

Check planting scale, season, intended harvest or soil-building purpose, and how the stand will be managed. Start with the essentials, then open only the detail groups that matter to you.

Rules-based · no AI · optional answers

Add an optional ZIP code and planting date for a broad frost-window check.Use local forecasts and measured soil temperature for final planting decisions.
1Essential fitTiming, light, and space
2Temperature and exposureOptional microclimate detail
3Soil, drainage, and waterRoot-zone readiness
4Questions for this grain or cover-crop seedCrop-specific decisions
5Seed-starting fit and patienceMatch the propagation work
Soil test, pH, drainage, and amendment calculator Have a laboratory soil report? Enter pH, nutrients, texture, bed size, and site observations here. Open soil tools
Recorded soil typeLoamy
Recorded pH range6.0–6.5
Water needsHigh
LightFull sun

Laboratory report interpreter

Soil readiness for Pencil Cob Dent Corn Seeds

Zea mays

Enter only the values your report provides. The result compares them with this crop’s recorded needs and keeps laboratory recommendations authoritative.

Core report valuesStart here
Advanced laboratory valuesOptional method-aware detail

Full growing record

Complete growing and seedkeeping record

Starting and plantingSeed preparation, sowing, germination, transplanting, spacing, and early establishment
Sow 1.5 in. deep after frost in soil at least 65 F. Sprouts in 7-10 days. Thin to 12 in.; rows 36 in. Plant four or more short rows; water well through silking.

Choose fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Plant several adjacent short rows to keep windblown pollen within the crop. Control weeds while plants are young and maintain moisture through tasseling, silking and kernel fill. Feed according to a soil test; do not remove healthy side shoots simply because they appear.
Season-long growing guideWater, fertility, support, weather response, pollination, containers, and care through maturity
Sow 1.5 in. deep after frost in soil at least 65 F. Sprouts in 7-10 days. Thin to 12 in.; rows 36 in. Plant four or more short rows; water well through silking.
Harvest, storage, and usesRecognizing maturity, harvesting cleanly, handling and storage, kitchen uses, and garden roles

Harvest and storage

Pick milk-stage ears for roasting or creaming; let grain ears harden and dry fully before shelling. Isolate other corn and save seed from many healthy plants.

Corn readily crosses through windblown pollen. Separate varieties by adequate distance or by flowering periods that do not overlap; nearby large fields can overwhelm a small planting. Keep seed from many healthy, representative plants rather than one favorite ear to maintain diversity. Let seed ears become fully mature and dry, finish drying under cover, and label the cleaned seed with variety and year.

Uses and garden roles

Pencil Cob takes its name from an unusually slender cob carrying long, deep kernels. This Southern heirloom is valued for a hearty corn flavor and its use as roasting or creaming corn when picked young. The pale kernels can carry yellowish tones, while fully mature grain is useful for grinding. Grow it where tall stalks have room and sunlight, and choose your harvest stage carefully: tender milk-stage ears for the table, hard dry kernels for storage.

Pick milk-stage ears for roasting or creaming; let grain ears harden and dry fully before shelling. Isolate other corn and save seed from many healthy plants.
Seed savingSelection, pollination, isolation, full maturity, cleaning, drying, labeling, and storage
Corn readily crosses through windblown pollen. Separate varieties by adequate distance or by flowering periods that do not overlap; nearby large fields can overwhelm a small planting. Keep seed from many healthy, representative plants rather than one favorite ear to maintain diversity. Let seed ears become fully mature and dry, finish drying under cover, and label the cleaned seed with variety and year.
Pests, diseases, and troubleshootingPrevention, diagnosis, environmental disorders, common damage, and first-response checks
Poor pollination or moisture stress can leave gaps in the ears. Watch for cutworms, corn earworms and stalk damage, and protect ripening ears from birds and wildlife. Rotate planting sites, keep the crop evenly watered, and dry harvested ears with good airflow to prevent mold.
Frequently asked questionsDecision-focused answers that supplement the detailed guides above
When is it ready?
73-100 days depending on harvest stage; dry grain takes longer than young roasting ears.

Why plant in a block?
Wind carries pollen from tassels to the silks. Several short rows together give more complete kernel set than an isolated long row.

Can I save seed?
Corn readily crosses through windblown pollen. Separate varieties by adequate distance or by flowering periods that do not overlap; nearby large fields can overwhelm a small planting. Keep seed from many healthy, representative plants rather than one favorite ear to maintain diversity. Let seed ears become fully mature and dry, finish drying under cover, and label the cleaned seed with variety and year.
History and provenanceBotanical identity, cultivar history, regional or cultural context, uncertainty, and source records

Scientific name: Zea mays

Pencil Cob is a Southern dent-corn heirloom known before 1900. Its narrow cob and deep kernels made it useful as a roasting and creaming ear, while the mature grain served traditional field-corn uses. It is not a modern supersweet corn.

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