Mezdi: discover its flavour and how to grow it
A second-early Sativa variety prioritising sweetcorn cob quality, with greater sweetness retention after harvest. Choose Mezdi mainly for sweet eating cobs when you cannot take every cob straight from plant to pan.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Location
- Plenty of sun, warmth and shelter without stagnant air
- Arrangement
- A block with several rows, for wind pollination
- Planting outdoors
- After the local last frost, in warmed soil
- Harvest
- Brown silks and milky kernels; check several signs
This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.
Sowing under cover and raising seedlings
Start under cover in warmth · Sweetcorn
April–MayStart indoors in warmth and reserve enough bright space for raising plants.
- Germination and temperature
- Warmth helps germination; use cultivar instructions for temperature.
- After emergence
- Give seedlings light immediately after emergence. A dark loft needs suitable grow lights; warmth alone is insufficient. Ventilate and keep the compost moist without saturating it.
- Pricking out and potting on
- Sow in individual pots or deep modules. Do not prick out bare-rooted; move the whole root ball before the roots become restricted.
- Hardening off and planting out
- Gradually acclimatise indoor-raised plants to sun, wind and outdoor temperatures; shelter them again on cold nights. After hardening off and the last frost, usually late May–June. Plant root balls in a block for pollination.
Do not leave young sweetcorn in small pots too long. Popcorn needs enough season for cobs to ripen and dry.
Sources and use
Royal Horticultural Society · RHS — suikermais kweken ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.
University of Minnesota Extension · UMN Extension — suikermais in de moestuin ↗Soort- of productgebonden bron; buitenlandse perioden zijn geen vaste Nederlandse zaaidatum.
Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.
What makes Mezdi different?
- Growth habit
- mid-early
- Flavour
- The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections.
The source context and any limitations are in the background information at the bottom.
Compare with another varietyFlavour and kitchen
The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections.
Boil or grill the young cobs; process surplus soon after harvest for storage to preserve fresh quality.
Why choose it? Choose Mezdi mainly for sweet eating cobs when you cannot take every cob straight from plant to pan.
How to grow sweetcorn
The options below belong to the plant. From these, choose the method that suits your variety's growth habit.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
A block of sweetcorn in open ground
A square or rectangular group generally pollinates better than one narrow, long row. Reserve enough sun for every plant.
- Choose an early sweetcorn variety and optionally start individually in deep pots.
- Acclimatise plants outdoors and plant in warm soil only after frost risk.
- Plant in several short rows, usually approximately 35–45 cm apart according to variety.
- Water during flowering and cob formation and leave male tassels intact.
For the best chance of well-filled cobs in a sunny vegetable garden.
Tick off your supplies →
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Compact sweetcorn in a group of large pots
A compact variety can grow in very large containers, but one isolated plant pollinates poorly. Group several generously planted pots into a small block.
- Choose large, deep containers with drainage and fertile compost.
- Choose a compact, early variety and give each plant sufficient root space.
- Group containers close enough for pollination without crowding foliage tightly together.
- Check moisture and feed regularly; expect a more modest yield.
For a spacious, sunny patio, not a single small balcony pot.
Tick off your supplies →Why grow Mezdi?
A second-early Sativa variety prioritising sweetcorn cob quality, with greater sweetness retention after harvest.
Choose Mezdi mainly for sweet eating cobs when you cannot take every cob straight from plant to pan.
How this choice tastes
The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections.
From harvest to kitchen
Boil or grill the young cobs; process surplus soon after harvest for storage to preserve fresh quality.
What needs attention when growing
Provide a warm, sunny block with enough water. Avoid flowering maize in one long row where possible.
Pick at the milk stage before kernels harden. Stated ripening time is a guide depending on season and emergence.
Choose by flavour, shape and use
Golden Bantam: A classic open-pollinated yellow sweetcorn with medium-sized cobs: particularly appealing if you prepare the harvest fresh straight away. Boil or grill a freshly picked cob and eat it the same day. Waiting a long time reduces the sweetness of traditional sweetcorn.
Young kernels at the milky stage are described as meltingly tender and sweet. The best eating stage is shorter than the period during which the cob still looks attractive.
Mezdi: A mid-early Sativa cultivar focused on sweetcorn cob quality, with better retention of sweetness after harvest. Boil or grill the young cobs; process surplus soon after harvest for storage to preserve fresh quality.
The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections.
Martian Purple: Sweetcorn with purplish-red plants and reddish-purple kernels, selected from Double Red; colour is part of the crop's appearance here too. Boil or grill young cobs and taste them fresh. The striking colour makes the harvest special even before cooking.
No specific sweetness comparison is given. The general sweetcorn flavour belongs to harvesting at the milky stage, not to fully dried purple kernels.
Inca Rainbow: A vigorous sweetcorn selection with white, yellow, red and dark kernels on plants about 1.5–2 metres tall. Boil a young cob or cut off milky-stage kernels for a cooked vegetable dish. If desired, keep a few dry cobs as a reminder of the garden.
The source describes sweetcorn but gives no separate ranking of sweetness. Colour variation does not prove that every kernel tastes different.
Not all maize is sweetcorn
Fodder maize, popcorn and sweetcorn are grown for different harvests. Choose a cultivar offered as sweetcorn for fresh use. Earliness matters in a Dutch garden: an impressively tall, late plant may still fail to produce ripe cobs before cool autumn weather.
Provide warmth without starting too early
Start indoors in spring when you can move the plants outside in good time later. Individual deep pots limit root disturbance. A sowing depth of about 2–3 cm is usual; follow the packet. Provide plenty of light after emergence and avoid plants growing on for weeks until pot-bound.
Frost-free also means warm soil
Maize does not tolerate frost. Alongside calendar advice, wait for warmed soil and a favourable forecast. Harden plants off and set the rootball at about the same depth. Water straight away; temporary cold protection needs daytime checks for overheating.
The tassel and silks work together
The tassel at the top produces pollen. Each silk by the cob leads to a developing kernel. Wind carries the pollen. This makes several short rows useful, and missing kernels may fit incomplete pollination or unfavourable weather during flowering.
Take care when growing different maize types
With some sweet maize types, cross-pollination with other maize can affect the quality of the current kernels. Check the seed guidance for recommendations on isolation. In a small garden, preferably sow one suitable type rather than several alongside one another without growing information.
Do not let cob formation dry out
Provide enough water, particularly during flowering and cob filling. Check below the surface before watering and avoid prolonged waterlogging. Root space dries out faster in containers. Mature compost or suitable feed supports growth; extra fertiliser does not replace good pollination.
Investigating leaning plants and empty cobs
Wind can tip plants over; a sheltered spot and light support around the outside may help. If cobs fill poorly, assess layout, simultaneous flowering and drought. Do not remove tassels during flowering. Diseased or rotting cobs do not belong in the edible harvest.
Check the cob, not just the calendar
Browning silks are a clue, not complete proof. Check a cob: the kernels are well filled and release milky sap when lightly damaged. Clear liquid indicates an earlier stage; a doughy content indicates a later one. Hold the plant while twisting the cob off.
Plan the meal around the harvest
Harvest just before preparing when possible; sweetness changes after picking. Store cobs briefly in cool conditions if you cannot eat them straight away. Record which plants were ripe: next year you can see whether the cultivar and sowing time suit your space.
What you need
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More background, sources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.
Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.
- World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · accessed 2026-10-07
- Common catalogue of varieties of vegetable species — 27 januari 2023Europese Commissie · accessed 2026-10-07
- Maïs Mezdi — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Aardbei-popcornmaïs — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Black Mexican — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Double Red — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Double Standard — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Golden Bantam — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Inca Rainbow — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Martian Purple — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Martian Purple Red — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Painted Hills — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Maïs Zwart uit Ticino — ras- en teeltbeschrijvingFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Double Standard — botanische soort en blokteeltJohnny’s Selected Seeds · accessed 2026-10-11
- Black Mexican — botanische soort en synoniemenKokopelli · accessed 2026-10-11
- Double Red — botanische soortKokopelli · accessed 2026-10-11
- Sweet Painted Hills — botanische soortKokopelli · accessed 2026-10-11
- Stowells Evergreen — witte suikermaïsAssociation Kokopelli · accessed 2026-10-11
- Glass Gem — beheerder en kolfgebruikNative Seeds/SEARCH · accessed 2026-10-11
- RHS — suikermais kwekenRoyal Horticultural Society · accessed 2026-10-10
- UMN Extension — suikermais in de moestuinUniversity of Minnesota Extension · accessed 2026-10-10
Supporting evidence by chapter: Why grow Mezdi?: Feggies. How this choice tastes: Feggies. From harvest to kitchen: Feggies. What needs attention when growing: Feggies. Choose by flavour, shape and use: Feggies, Feggies, Feggies, Feggies. Not all maize is sweetcorn: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Provide warmth without starting too early: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Frost-free also means warm soil: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. The tassel and silks work together: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Take care when growing different maize types: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Do not let cob formation dry out: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Investigating leaning plants and empty cobs: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Check the cob, not just the calendar: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension. Plan the meal around the harvest: Royal Horticultural Society, University of Minnesota Extension.
Growth habit: mid-early Beschrijving van de genoemde rasbron; geen eigen tuinwaarneming. Feggies
Flavour: The source describes very sweet kernels that retain their sweetness after picking better than other open-pollinated selections. Smaakbeschrijving van de rasbron, vertaald naar eigen woorden. Rijpheid, teelt en bereiding beïnvloeden de smaak. Feggies