Sweetcorn

Morning All!

I'm hoping some of you can relive my paranoia?

I started some sweetcorn off in cells when we moved into our new home at the beginning of April.

I planted them out once they where big enough prob June, they really are trying and every time we get a bit of sun they turf out another couple of leave, but they are only about 12" (30cm) tall...... is there any point in keeping them? do you think they will grow fast enough to produce any cobs?

Has anyone else had the same problem? I'm in a very soggy Lancashire, so I'm guessing it's because of all the rain they haven/t gown. They get sun most of the day where they are, there's only a couple of hours in the mid afternoon where the house gets in the way and they are shaded.

Thanks for your help.

Morning Hare. No, it's not just yours. These are mine when I took a photo yesterday. Leaves been shredded, I presume by birds and slugs, and seem to have new growth, but are so slow growing.

 Mine get full sun, and are watered daily. They just don't want to do anything.

Sweet corn needs full sun but also decent warmth. The decent warmth might be lacking.

Barry isn't too pleased that I planted my Sunflowers with the Sweetcorn because the Sunflowers are growing faster - the Sunflowers range from 4'- 7' but the Sweetcorn is about 4' - 5'  I bet he won't let me do that again

Pam x

Aaw Pam,then he should make you your own Sunflower patch! But I bet they would still grow faster!

Mine are the same, now at about 12-14" but they've taken ages - planted direct in early June. Down to all the wet I'm afraid. Fingers crossed for a warm and dry Aug/Sept.

Thanks all! always nice to have a bit of reasurance

Hi, Moonlit Hare, you can grow them in Lancashire. If they are like insomnia's that's not a good height, considering the wheather we've had. Sweet corn does prefer full sun and warmth. They also need a long growing season, unless you have planted mini pop, they won't be ready for harvest until late September at the earlist or even late October. Sweetcron also likes to have deep roots, so need planting in a ridge, then earthing up as they grow, and then earthing up to a ridge so when watered the water runs off the ridge and forms in the trough allowing water to get to the roots.

They can grow to 6ft, the deep roots, prevent wind from blowing them over.      

Sorry meant to say Insomnia's are a good height was going to write 'that's not a bad height' but changed it before posting

Ha ha ha Zoomer, I read that first line and thought 'Oh no, yet another failure'! So there's still a chance yet then.

Moonlit Hare! I am in Yorkshire, not a million miles away from yourself! n yeah! it as been a very damp year! But our plants on the very most northern part of the plot to recieve the most sun possible all day!  (when we get any that is) But they are now coming on, n doing well! 

This was two weeks ago! n are now almost for feet high, with all tassles in flour! So yeah! A bad year for corn! but give em time!!  

Four, that should have read!!

This is my sweetcorn in amongst my sunflowers

Pam x

Pam! Your sweetcorn now seems to have taken over! 

Oh Pam, yours put mine to shame.

Er no - it hasn't taken over yet

Pam x

Pam!!! I have corn envy! 

I'm just going to suck it and see. I confess we did a rush job on the veg patch this year when we moved in early spring.... working on the theory that even if we only get a couple of meals back we've got our money back on the seeds and spuds! The good news is the spuds have done really well!

We'll have more time to prep up and plan for next years crop so this is a test run, but I do get quite protective ove my plants, especially when I've grown them from seed!

Thanks for all the photos too, mine aren't too far off so I'm a happy bunny!

My sweetcorn in Lancashire is about 20" tall & has tassels already. They were bought as plants in May & planted out pretty soon after that.

i started sweetcorn off in seeds, planted out at 12", they got to around 3ft then started with the cobs, now its 4ft and stil growing taller but has cobs on each leaf node, i do tnothing to mine and 1st year of growing, check my latest vid on youtube for a talk through of it, Search gummer4england in youtube