Hello - really interesting the sweetcorn article - think it was March issue?
Wondered if anyone willing to give it a go i.e. sowing at end of march for an earlier crop of sweetcorn?
I'm sure I read somewhere that butterscotch does well in Scotland - so debating whether or not to go for that one or Lark, which I believe lots of people in yorkshire have had success with.
Another lady suggested (here or on another site) growing on in a pot - moving in and out the greenhouse and not planting in the ground till end of june.
Am most determined this year - if don't get crop of sweetcorn this year...think i will be giving in (arghhhhhh!)
Early sweetcorn article...
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PLUMPUDDING
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I think March is a bit too early to sow sweetcorn as the plants will be getting too large before it is warm enough to plant them out. I start mine off in April in root trainers so they've a nice depth for their roots and they are quite large by the end of May when it should be safe to put them outside. I've forgotten what the article said now - they weren't growing them inside a polytunnel were they, in which case March might be OK.
I'm afraid I'm too lazy to keep putting them out and bringing them in, but save pop bottles for cloches to put over them when I plant them in the garden.
I grew two different varieties last year and wasn't too impressed with their flavour, so I'm growing my favourite, Lark, again this year. It hasn't let me down yet and is very productive and tastes lovely.
I'm afraid I'm too lazy to keep putting them out and bringing them in, but save pop bottles for cloches to put over them when I plant them in the garden.
I grew two different varieties last year and wasn't too impressed with their flavour, so I'm growing my favourite, Lark, again this year. It hasn't let me down yet and is very productive and tastes lovely.
In Glasgow I use the methods and varieties set out on this page :- http://www.growyourown.info/page129.html , with great success every year. Still have plenty in the freezer.
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Rubykitchen
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oh I'll recheck the article to see if he did grow on in poly tunnel - but no certain i twas outside growing.
That article someone posted was really useful - particularly putting the seed on top of the compost - i've had lots rot off before germinated. Tho think you can start them on your windowsill laying them on moist kitchen roll too to prevent this.
Have decided to try the early method - but am going with SEVILLE F1s - researched all varieties and these mid season one's look best set to cope with this Northern climate - cope even with northern weather.
Not sure whether can be bothered either - I too am lazy - but bringing them in and out the greenhouse sounds great in theory - until I come to have to actually do it.
But it is last chance saloon for squash and sweetcorn this year, so am open to try anything!!
That article someone posted was really useful - particularly putting the seed on top of the compost - i've had lots rot off before germinated. Tho think you can start them on your windowsill laying them on moist kitchen roll too to prevent this.
Have decided to try the early method - but am going with SEVILLE F1s - researched all varieties and these mid season one's look best set to cope with this Northern climate - cope even with northern weather.
Not sure whether can be bothered either - I too am lazy - but bringing them in and out the greenhouse sounds great in theory - until I come to have to actually do it.
But it is last chance saloon for squash and sweetcorn this year, so am open to try anything!!
I would suggest that you go with a quick maturing variety such as Swift, rather than a later variety, to ensure that your crop is ready before the weather gets cold.
Hello RK
Good pollination is everything with sweetcorn. A poor pollination will lead to ears only partly filled with kernels ('skips'). I don't know how you can ensure good wind pollination in a polytunnel except by stroking everything every day. Life to short for that.
The key to high quality sweet corn is rapid growth, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting the ears at optimum maturity. You only get ONE chance with this crop. Sowing too early might give you plants that later suffer a check in a late cold spell. Later sown crops never seem to do well as they struggle to ripen in September.
In Scotland I suppose end of April/beginning May would be a good time to sow. Don't bother trying to sow directly in the ground. Start the seeds off, pointy end down, in root trainers and grow on under cover, in full light, until they are about 6-8" tall then plant out. Plant deeply and give a sprinkling of Growmore. Follow the instructions about planting in blocks - spacing at about 2 ft - and only plant out the strongest.
If all this seems a lot of faffing about just think of that wonderful taste of a fresh ripe cob cooked straight after picking and its all worthwhile.
'Lark' has done very well for me for the last few years.
Hope this helps.
John
PS Don't forget these do become large plants about 6 ft tall.
Good pollination is everything with sweetcorn. A poor pollination will lead to ears only partly filled with kernels ('skips'). I don't know how you can ensure good wind pollination in a polytunnel except by stroking everything every day. Life to short for that.
The key to high quality sweet corn is rapid growth, adequate soil moisture and nutrients, and harvesting the ears at optimum maturity. You only get ONE chance with this crop. Sowing too early might give you plants that later suffer a check in a late cold spell. Later sown crops never seem to do well as they struggle to ripen in September.
In Scotland I suppose end of April/beginning May would be a good time to sow. Don't bother trying to sow directly in the ground. Start the seeds off, pointy end down, in root trainers and grow on under cover, in full light, until they are about 6-8" tall then plant out. Plant deeply and give a sprinkling of Growmore. Follow the instructions about planting in blocks - spacing at about 2 ft - and only plant out the strongest.
If all this seems a lot of faffing about just think of that wonderful taste of a fresh ripe cob cooked straight after picking and its all worthwhile.
'Lark' has done very well for me for the last few years.
Hope this helps.
John
PS Don't forget these do become large plants about 6 ft tall.
The Gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men’s lives, the hours spent fishing Assyrian tablet
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
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Rubykitchen
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Thanks realfood & John for your suggestions - arh yes thanks John, I'm well aware how tall they grow - as I don't have any problem growing the plants themselves - have had beautiful sweetcorn plants past 2 years, just no sweetcorn...shame you can't eat the stems.
Minipop - although rather tasteless worked for me last year, so will do that again this year.
Also - instead of Seville, stumbled across MARAI F1 in the local garden centre - early and apparently does well in short summers.
Fingers crossed this is the year...
Minipop - although rather tasteless worked for me last year, so will do that again this year.
Also - instead of Seville, stumbled across MARAI F1 in the local garden centre - early and apparently does well in short summers.
Fingers crossed this is the year...
Hi Rubykitchen,
Noting that you suffer from a windy site (on a different thread maybe) and wonder if the Sweetcorn which relies heavily on the wind for pollination is planted to take advantage of the wind. Sweetcorn is best planted in block in a row that the prevailing wind will take the pollen to all but the first plant.
I had a case not so long ago where the Sweetcorn was grown alongside a path with the prevailing wind blowing across the path blowing all the pollen over all the other crops but the sweetcorn with very dire results.
This is really a "just in case" posting. Positioning of Sweetcorn is quite crucial for good results.
I do hope I am not trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs!
JB.
Noting that you suffer from a windy site (on a different thread maybe) and wonder if the Sweetcorn which relies heavily on the wind for pollination is planted to take advantage of the wind. Sweetcorn is best planted in block in a row that the prevailing wind will take the pollen to all but the first plant.
I had a case not so long ago where the Sweetcorn was grown alongside a path with the prevailing wind blowing across the path blowing all the pollen over all the other crops but the sweetcorn with very dire results.
This is really a "just in case" posting. Positioning of Sweetcorn is quite crucial for good results.
I do hope I am not trying to teach my grandmother to suck eggs!
JB.
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FelixLeiter
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John wrote: I don't know how you can ensure good wind pollination in a polytunnel except by stroking everything every day.
It's easy. Just shake the plants occasionally. I have grown the highest quality corn in a tunnel, the sweetest and earliest, perfect cobs with every seed pollinated. Growing them where there is no wind, such as in a tunnel, shows up how much pollen is produced — the leaves and the ground get a golden dusting.
Allotment, but little achieved.
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Kleftiwallah
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I 'chitted' mine on kitchen paper and as soon as I saw a rootlet I potted them into cups. They're on my propagation table now coming along luverly. Especially after last years battle with mice! Cheers, Tony.
I have to agree with JB. I have 2 big tunnel tents, with doors at either end, so through drafts are possible, but sweetcorn has repeatedly failed in them.
Outside, just a few feet away in a sheltered garden, blocks of sweetcorn set really well. My problem has always been maximising sufficient growing days, which is why I'm sowing early indoors to put out as soon as all frosts are clear.
Outside, just a few feet away in a sheltered garden, blocks of sweetcorn set really well. My problem has always been maximising sufficient growing days, which is why I'm sowing early indoors to put out as soon as all frosts are clear.
I have never had difficulty germinating sweetcorn by simply planting in module trays 1.5"x1.5"x 2" deep into moist compost and leaving them in full light on the tunnel benches.
The difference between Tigger and myself at our latitude (we are on the same latitude) and Arthur is surely down to climatic conditions of the latitude of North East Scotland.
Sweetcorn in tunnels hereabouts generally ends up in failure and suggest that there are so many variables between us and Arthur it is very difficult to pinpoint exactly why.
Here my tunnels can very easily and quickly reach 120F during the day and overnight drop to below freezing and I would suggest that the rapid differences in temperature is something that Sweetcorn dislikes.
By growing in his tunnel Arthur maintains a more even temperature for his part of the world, which the sweetcorn prefers, but where the dividing line comes is anybodies guess.
It would be interesting to know.
JB.
The difference between Tigger and myself at our latitude (we are on the same latitude) and Arthur is surely down to climatic conditions of the latitude of North East Scotland.
Sweetcorn in tunnels hereabouts generally ends up in failure and suggest that there are so many variables between us and Arthur it is very difficult to pinpoint exactly why.
Here my tunnels can very easily and quickly reach 120F during the day and overnight drop to below freezing and I would suggest that the rapid differences in temperature is something that Sweetcorn dislikes.
By growing in his tunnel Arthur maintains a more even temperature for his part of the world, which the sweetcorn prefers, but where the dividing line comes is anybodies guess.
It would be interesting to know.
JB.