Talkback: Sweetcorn - Talkback - gardenersworld.com

08/07/2008 at 19:22

I had several plants providing 2 cobs last year, that is, before pigeons or mice or rabbits (I never did find out which) ate a dozen plants over the space of a weekend. Still, they did taste lovely picked and boiled within the hour.

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10/07/2008 at 22:37

Planted my white maize (seeds from South Africa!) 500mm apart - thought this was a bit far but they are doing very well though. I am keeping them well watered & well weeded. Will let you know how I get on when it comes time for the cobs - not holding my breath.

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10/07/2008 at 22:45

Last year my sweetcorn suffered from the usual wild life attacks and for some reason suffered from stunted growth which could possibly be put down to insufficient hardening off. This year I have enclosed their growing area with discarded shower doors (I'm a bathroom fitter) protecting the young plants from wind, rabbits/mice and, at the same time providing a micro climate. My plants are now romping away. Bubble wrap would probably serve the same purpose

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11/07/2008 at 08:37

I have a row of 4 sweetcorn plants at the edge of my plot. they are only about 2ft tall but are already developing the corn, they are spaced about a foot apart. I love going out every day to see how everything has grown its the first year i have tried to grow veg. i've also got a dozen cabbage, a dozen sprouts. potatoes, peas, garlic,spring onions and strawberries, tomatoes and herbs on the patio.

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11/07/2008 at 09:42

I'm sure my packet of seeds said 6 cobs per plant??... Maybe i was dreaming when i read that. Noticed last night that my plants have mini cobs on already...only 1 on each plant so far. What about baby sweetcorn? how many cobs could i expect from those plants?

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11/07/2008 at 14:21

I'm trying the Native American approach of underplanting my sweetcorn with butternut squashes. They both seem to be flourishing at present, but only time will tell. I wasn't brave enough to go the whole way & plant beans to grow up the sweetcorn!

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13/07/2008 at 13:21

Try adding charcoal and manure to increase yield.

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14/07/2008 at 22:20

Hi! my raised beds are new this season and are at the bottom of the garden under a large willow tree. i propagated them in the greenhouse a couple of months ago but after transplanting out ages ago they have hardly grown- (about 12" high !!) i know my soil is poor and heavy (clay) but my potatoes are 4 foot high and almost ready to dig up!!- what do i do- they are too close together at about 9" apart. Cheers Martin 07973 797564.

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15/07/2008 at 20:30

We live in the north of France only 100 miles from Portsmouth and have planted our sweetcorn about 12 inches apart in a block and we are having a great crop promised. I have walked through the block to rattle the heads a bit and the fruit is well established and we seem to have loads. The French think we are crazy growing cattle food in out allotment!!

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17/07/2008 at 20:43

I have 3 beds of sweetcorn in 10x4ft beds each plant 18inches apart and so far they seem to be growing very well, some of them have what looks like side shoots coming out, should I remove them?

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18/07/2008 at 21:10

We grew swift last year and they were the best cobs ever, so sweet and juicy.You wont be disappointed,we are looking forward to this years crop as we have just had the last from the freezer from last year.We averaged about 2 cobs per plant.

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22/07/2008 at 15:12

Great hearing all your comments. Yes, Shirley, 'Swift' is a great 'tendersweet' variety that I've eaten raw in the past. Delicious. It's still very unusual for me to get 2 good cobs per plant. One new variety I'm trialing for introduction next year appears to be flowering at the top, but not a single cob on its tall, robust stalk!

Fiona, the side shoots you refer to may be new cobs forming. Plants do sometimes form small side shoots from the base, and these can be left in place. They probably won't carry a crop.

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27/07/2008 at 17:24

I have managed to grow sweetcorn (mini pop) i was just wondering when do you harvest? how can you tell when to harvest?? does it grow the same as sweet corn on the cob???? thanks

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30/07/2008 at 19:18

I have grown sweetcorn successfully last year, but this year the husk seems to have unwrapped itself and all the unripe corn is blowing about in the wind. Has anyone else had this problem, and would just wrapping it up like a parcel in string help?

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04/08/2008 at 15:03

We planted mini corn by mistake this year. Already they are about 7 ft. tall and the cobs feel large inside the leaves. When are they ready for harvesting.

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11/08/2008 at 17:34

My six sweetcorn plants are doing very well, positioned against a 6' high fence and in full sun most of the day, they are now over 5' high. I have one large cob plus one smaller one on each stem, and I've resisted the temptation to peel back the shells to take a peek at the corn. The leeks I planted below the corn plants are not doing so well, a bit pewny. Maybe I should try a different plant next year. Can you plant sweetcorn in the same location each year or should it be rotated?

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14/08/2008 at 12:51

Hi, I am a recent convert to veg growing and this is my first year of really having a proper go. In May I planted out a block of baby sweetcorn grown from seed spaced about 10-12 inches apart, So far I cannot see any cobs at all, although the plants are about 4-5 feet high. Did I plant them out too close togther? Hard to believe I won't get ANY cobs at all. Any thoughts/advice?

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16/08/2008 at 16:24

you don't say how to grow them or when to pick them.

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16/08/2008 at 17:58

I planted out for the first time in my new garden 2 rows of 6 plants (generic sweetcorn f1 from B&Q). I started them in pots for a month and then transferred them out in June - they never grew much and are about 4ft high but have 2 big cobs each that are almost ready. To stop the weeds I planted peas and mange tout at the base of each plant which seems to have worked well. About to harvest as the silks are brown and shrivelled now. I had to help the pollination though, the pollen formed at different times to the silks by several days!

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29/08/2008 at 17:13

Can someone please tell me when you can harvest sweetcorn as this is my first time growing it. I have 6 healthy looking cobs but don't want to pick too soon or too late. Thanks