Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

sweetcorn problems

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Pauline (U14639645) on Thursday, 7th October 2010

  Hi,
  
  I live in Inverness and, being a novice, planted only four plants(grown from seed) when I believe you should plant more. We had a dull, wet and rather cold Summer and only one of the plants thrived. One of the others grew weakly, one stayed tiny and the other died.
  The large plant grew two cobs (the next biggest plant grew one)but I had no idea when they might be ready. When I tested the biggest, by peeling back the leaves and bursting one of the kernals, it didn't look ripe and nothing came out of the kernal. Now i see that rot , and an earwig, has set in. Help! How can I possibly know, for next year, when the corn is ready?

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by TopVeg (U7524957) on Thursday, 7th October 2010

  Hi
  That sounds disappointing. Can you harvest them now, cut the rot off, and try cooking it? I'm sure it will taste good!
  You are very far north - It is important to choose an early variety if it is growing in the UK, where the summers are short. There are some new varieties available which are very early. Northern Extra Sweet F1 Hybrid is suitable for north UK.
  It is ready when when the liquid of the grains in the cob is thin and creamy
  
  

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Friday, 8th October 2010

  I grew about 40 plants this year in Glasgow and got a good crop. Choose a quick maturing type such as Swift and follow the suggested growing method shown here :-
  I would take all your sweetcorn in now.

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 8th October 2010

  I grew about 32 plants in Lancashire. Invinsible 1 and the childrens sweetcorn seeds from B and Q thinking if a child could grow them so could I, can't remember the variety. Both did really well.
  
  Sounds like yours didn't grow sufficiently to pollinate each other. They should be planted in blocks asthey are self pollinating but one block of four may not be sufficient.
  
  I found the tops of mine didn't ripen, yet they were reasonably large cobs and an inch down the cob was ripe.
  
  Wait for the bits coming out of the tops of the cobs to die and go brown, even then I waited a couple more weeks before testing them, prick a kernal with your nails if the fluid squirts out they are not ripe.

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by realfood (U13916672) on Saturday, 9th October 2010

  While growing in blocks is good advice, it is perfectly possible to crop and fertilize even one plant, to produce a couple of good cobs. Just do some hand fertilization when the pollen is mobile.

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Rayzor (U14410126) on Sunday, 10th October 2010

  Got to say, I'm also in Lancashire and we planted 6 sweetcorn this year (our first year on the allotment). They grew magnificently - at least 6' tall and all had three to four corns. Not one has matured sufficiently to eat to i guess we need earlier varieties or need to get them in the ground quicker. Hey Ho another learning curve (I'm running out of time for these) and at least the chickens are enjoying them.
  Ray

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by wendy park (U14317814) on Tuesday, 12th October 2010

  I too live in Lancashire and the sweetcorn I got this was planted far earlier than last year, yet this year they grow to about 5ft had plenty of cobs on yet up to now have not ripened I think these were Invisible. Will wait afew more weeks and see what happens especially if this sun keeps up.
  
  wendy

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Tuesday, 12th October 2010

  From Lancashire. I bit the bullet and harevested mine a couple of weeks ago, I needed to cut the top inch off some cobs because they didn't look ripe but they are now all blanched and in the freezer.
  
  Mine were not bright yellow like the ones in the shops but those which had kernals the same size I've blanched. It's hard to explain but you know when you've stripped away the outer leaves whether it's ripe. If unsure take off one cob and cook it.
  

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Pauline (U14639645) on Saturday, 16th October 2010

  Thank you to everybody who has replied to my message. the advice is much appreciated. I think that next year I shall choose the variety carefully and get the plants started early. My only decent sized cob is now rotten and the others are tiny although the tassels turned brown an age ago. The good news is that my first crop of new potatoes was fantastic and the courgettes did well. I suppose you can't win them all!

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Saturday, 16th October 2010

  Good to hear other crops did well.
  
  If you have a shorter growing season- Marshalls have 'mini pop' which as the name implies is baby corn, it's harvested before the tassels appear and can be planted close together not quite the same though as large corn on the cob but worth a look in.

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message10

• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Pauline (U14639645) on Tuesday, 19th October 2010

  Thanks. I'll look out for that one.

  Link to this forum: sweetcorn problems

  Report message11

Back to top