Grow your own permalink
sweetcorn ready ?
This discussion has been closed.
-
Message 1.Â
Posted by andy2728 (U14260904) on Thursday, 15th July 2010
After my first season of growing sweetcorn,in pots,in my smallish patioed garden.The question i have now is,how do i know when they are ready?
The plants generally have four to a stalk and are progressing nicely(i think
).
So,when are they ready for picking?,is there a sign?
thanks
andy. -
Message 2
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Thursday, 15th July 2010
You're lucky having 4 cobs on each plant usually there are only 1 or 2.
It's my first year too, this infromation is off the internet. Try googling sweet corn. I'm sure though other people will have first hand knowledge.
Sweet corn is usually ready for harvesting in September.
The sweet corn can be tested for ripeness by pressing a kernel with your fingernail - if they are ripe, this will show a creamy coloured liquid from inside the kernel. If the liquid is watery, the sweet corn needs more time to ripen; if the liquid is almost like dough, the sweet corn is over-ripe. Start this testing when the silks (long silky threads which grow out of the cobs) turn brown and start to shrivel
Mine's doing really well, had a slight problem with greenfly and they do seem to get blown about in the wind alot but earthing up gives them a deeper root and good anchor base. -
Message 3
Posted by andy2728 (U14260904) on Thursday, 15th July 2010
Thanks for that zoomer,
tbh,i thought theyd have more than four
so im chuffed with how they have grown.Being a novice i simply thought id try them,good old lidl supplied the seed and every one grew.ive even got them in my aviery.the quail hammered them till i covered the base lol. -
Message 4
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Thursday, 15th July 2010
I had quite a large space which I'd grown cabbage in last year and sweet corn seemed like a good crop to grow to replemish the nutients in the soil.
There are little side shoots coming out of mine at the bottom and wasn't sure what to do with them, I've pulled some out. -
Message 5
Posted by farmerSteve (U2644680) on Friday, 16th July 2010
Sweetcorn are normally ready when the tassles turn brown. gently peel back the leaf around the cob and examine the grain. Eat as soon as you can by the time the grain yellow and doughy it is probably troo late
Do not remove sdide shootds as they will produce their own cobs -
Message 6
Posted by brothershamass (U4829311) on Friday, 16th July 2010
I hasd so many last year that I had to freeze some. They didn't taste as nice, but were nicer that supermarket frozen ones.
-
Message 7
Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Friday, 16th July 2010
Hi sweetcorn growers. I don't like to disagree with Steve since his advice is always so practical and sound but I wait until the silks (the female threads at the top of the cob) turn brown. The tassles (I thought) are the male, pollen producing parts at the top of the plant and these will certainly have turned brown by the time the cobs are ready.
When the silks turn brown peel back the outer wrappings of the cob and press the grains with your thumbnail; if you squeeze out a milky substance they are ready for boiling but if it is of a more cheesy consistency then they are over ripe for boiling and will be far less sweet but they can still be grilled on the barbecue. -
Message 8
Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 16th July 2010
andy2728
Just out of interst how tall is your sweet corn, mines just over a foot which doesn't seem very tall as I was out walking last night and went past a field with corn about 3 ft tall and amazing mazes are now springing up with corn the the height of people.
How tall does it grow? -
Message 9
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Friday, 16th July 2010
It depends on the variety. Farmers want different things from the corn than gardeners.
-
Message 10
Posted by andy2728 (U14260904) on Monday, 19th July 2010
hey zoomer,
the main plants are about 6/7 feet,there are smaller plants though,which are only just sprouting the side shoots. -
Message 11
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Monday, 19th July 2010
It depends on the variety. Farmers want different things from the corn than gardeners.Â
Yers. A lot depends, I should think, on the quality of the crop, and the determination of a farmer to earn more from the individual Cob.
Like all fruit and veg, the retail market price goes down when the crop is generally ripe, whereas the value of Maize fodder is high, more than twice that of meadow hay.
Merely because they want different things, does not mean that they plant different seed, although nearly all Fodder is GM maize now, whereas most gardeners would not want that! -
Message 12
Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
Yes but sweetcorn, fodder and grain maize are different varieties. Sweetcorn varieties tend to be dwarf and very high in sweet soluble sugars. Boiled fodder and grain maize varieties are not so nice to eat at the same (milky) growth stage.
Fodder maize is left to mature much longer until the grains reach the "cheesy" stage. The UK generally doesn't have hot or sunny enough summers to get grain maize to maturity. Plant breeders have been trying to breed suitable varieties for the UK for a long time. -
Message 13
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
"Fodder maize is left to mature much longer"
Who says?!!
"get grain maize to maturity"
Quite mature enough for me!
You may be right about the difference of sub species.A gardener does not generally want GM. -
Message 14
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Tuesday, 20th July 2010
It is not a matter of GM; farmers want to ensile maize plants for fodder. You would not like to eat the cobs from fodder maize - not sweet at all. The plants for fodder ARE left to mature much longer, they will not be cut until the autumn. It is all basically maize, just different varieties. Nothing to do with GM.
-
Message 15
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 21st July 2010
You would not like to eat the cobs from fodder maize - not sweet at all. Â
It is surprising what people think. -
Message 16
Posted by Logissimo (U14020652) on Wednesday, 21st July 2010
Fodder maize is generally grown for feeding to cattle; when it is ready, maybe in October, it is chopped using a maize forage harvester and ensiled ready for feeding.
It is not really intended for human consumption but, if that's what turns you on, then go ahead. I'll stick to sweetcorn and leave the forage maize to Daisy and Buttercup. -
Message 17
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Wednesday, 21st July 2010
Yes of course logissimo long after it has ripened and gone completely hard. It has to be chopped. The livestock would not be able to eat it in that hard condition in October. It has to be macerated.
That does not mean it is not perfectly good to eat and just the same as any other maize in Late August or early September! -
Message 18
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Thursday, 22nd July 2010
Gardda, have you tried forage peas, field beans, field kale, grazing rape, field turnips? All bred for animal feed, you might prefer them to garden varieties.
-
Message 19
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 22nd July 2010
Only with permission Bara, not by "forage" as you describe it.
The broad beans look a bit bare this year in some fields.
I have been considering the acquisition of some rape seed to decorticate and press for my own oil, since I do have the equipment for it.(I think!)
Some of the broad bean crop may well go for fodder, it is that inadequate.
You may be mistaken in your opinions Bara, but there again you may not. -
Message 20
Posted by BaraGwenith (U14257539) on Thursday, 22nd July 2010
Forage = feed for horses and cattle. I think I'm going to stick with my garden varieties. Good luck with the rape seed. Cold pressed it is apparently full of Omega 3. Tastes good too.
-
Message 21
Posted by Papa Nopsis (U14479902) on Thursday, 22nd July 2010
Forage = feed for horses and cattleÂ
I would not know enough about wholesale market buying requirements to be able to comment about that, just to be aware that some crops are top notch one year and other times they are only fit to be used for...forage.
About this Board
Welcome to the new Gardening Board. If this is your first time, then make sure you check out the
or  to take part in a discussion.
The message board is currently closed for posting.
Weekdays 09:00-00:00
Weekends 10:00-00:00
This messageboard is .
Find out more about this board's
Search this Board
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú iD
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú navigation
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú links
Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú © 2014 The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.