Hi everyone
My wee boy picked up a packet of sweetcorn seeds at the garden centre a few months ago and announced that was what he wanted to grow. I've never grown sweetcorn before - any tips? Does it need a lot of sun to ripen? Aberdeen isn't very sunny! I've sown half a dozen seeds in pots - the plants are about 20 cm high. Should I plant them out now?
All advice gratefully received! (Ditto for pumpkins as I am trying these too for the first time this year)
Thanks
Haggis
Sweetcorn
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Chantal
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Hi Haggis
I put my sweetcorn out a couple of weeks ago as it was getting very potbound; my pumpkins won't go out until June. I'm in the Midlands and the weather forecast for the next few days is horrible. In your neck of the woods I saw a forecast for possible sleet and snow, so I'd hold off planting until the weather warms up again.
Unless someone knows better...
I put my sweetcorn out a couple of weeks ago as it was getting very potbound; my pumpkins won't go out until June. I'm in the Midlands and the weather forecast for the next few days is horrible. In your neck of the woods I saw a forecast for possible sleet and snow, so I'd hold off planting until the weather warms up again.
Unless someone knows better...
Chantal
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Primrose
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HAGGIS, I'm not familiar with growing conditions in your part of the world but generally sweetcorn does need a lot of sun to ripen properly. If your plot doesn't get sunshine all day, I wonder whether planting the sweetcorn plants individually in some deep pots which can be moved around to get the maximum sunshine would help the ripening process.
Pumpkins also like to be hardened off in autumn sunshine but at least these can be picked at the end of the season and the skin allowed to harden off indoors if necessary. The problem you may experience with any type of squash plant leaves is that they may die back before the plant matures if it's too cold or wet. But give them a try. Nature always surprises us.
Pumpkins also like to be hardened off in autumn sunshine but at least these can be picked at the end of the season and the skin allowed to harden off indoors if necessary. The problem you may experience with any type of squash plant leaves is that they may die back before the plant matures if it's too cold or wet. But give them a try. Nature always surprises us.
Hello Haggis
I'm not sure if sweetcorn will grow successfully in your area but as you've already got some good strong plants give it a go. Do farmers grow maize (corn) for cattle fodder in your area? If so you should be OK.
Its likely that you've got a variety suitable for our shorter growing season.
Tigger is quite right about planting in blocks for good pollination. This is the ideal but don't worry that you've only got half a doz plants - in my experience each plant produces masses of pollen that gets everywhere - two rows of three plants should be fine.
Remember that the plants will grow rapidly and eventually become very tall, perhaps 6 feet or more. I always plant mine well down in a depression in the soil and back fill this as the plants get established. Otherwise you might find them all flat on their backs after a summer storm.
As far as pumpkins go I don't think you should have any problems. They do take up a lot of space though as they ramble everywhere. With your shorter season its probably best to restrict each plant to one or two fruits to be sure of getting some large mature pumpkins. As the fruits begin to form try to ease them round into an upright position otherwise you'll finish up with large lop-sided things that won't win you any Halloween competitions!
John
I'm not sure if sweetcorn will grow successfully in your area but as you've already got some good strong plants give it a go. Do farmers grow maize (corn) for cattle fodder in your area? If so you should be OK.
Its likely that you've got a variety suitable for our shorter growing season.
Tigger is quite right about planting in blocks for good pollination. This is the ideal but don't worry that you've only got half a doz plants - in my experience each plant produces masses of pollen that gets everywhere - two rows of three plants should be fine.
Remember that the plants will grow rapidly and eventually become very tall, perhaps 6 feet or more. I always plant mine well down in a depression in the soil and back fill this as the plants get established. Otherwise you might find them all flat on their backs after a summer storm.
As far as pumpkins go I don't think you should have any problems. They do take up a lot of space though as they ramble everywhere. With your shorter season its probably best to restrict each plant to one or two fruits to be sure of getting some large mature pumpkins. As the fruits begin to form try to ease them round into an upright position otherwise you'll finish up with large lop-sided things that won't win you any Halloween competitions!
John
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
Thanks for all the info. I'll just give it a go and see what happens. If the crop fails I may do what I did with my strawberries last year and buy some to put under the plants! Bit of a cheat I know but it made my wee boys day - time enough for him to learn that not every thing grows well! I hadn't realised that sweetcorn grows so tall - I haven't seen it growing round here at all. Mind you, on my allotment site (7 plots)- 5 have been empty for 3 years - until last month when they have all been re-let. It's great to see the plots being worked again and hopefully that means that the council aren't going to close them down any time soon.. Will keep you posted about how I get on. Thanks again
Haggis
Haggis
Hello again Haggis
Going off topic, I know, but someone I worked with years ago had just moved to this area from Glasgow and was amazed at what we could grow here. He told me, many times, that in Glasgow area it was impossible to grow runner beans - season too short, too cold etc - is this so? I still don't believe him! Can you grow runners in Aberdeen?
John
Going off topic, I know, but someone I worked with years ago had just moved to this area from Glasgow and was amazed at what we could grow here. He told me, many times, that in Glasgow area it was impossible to grow runner beans - season too short, too cold etc - is this so? I still don't believe him! Can you grow runners in Aberdeen?
John
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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Malk
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maybe that explins why i can't get my runner beans to germinate.
Here in Glasgow I have mixed results with sweetcorn, it really depens on how hot and dry it is. Last year they didn't do so well, May and june were too wet. \doesn't bode well for this year.
Never had any probs with pumpkins, they just take over the plot if you let them. if you want to store them leave them on the vine as long as possible. I had pumkin bread in March.
Nugget apologises for my typing.
Here in Glasgow I have mixed results with sweetcorn, it really depens on how hot and dry it is. Last year they didn't do so well, May and june were too wet. \doesn't bode well for this year.
Never had any probs with pumpkins, they just take over the plot if you let them. if you want to store them leave them on the vine as long as possible. I had pumkin bread in March.
Nugget apologises for my typing.
Welcome to Finland!!
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Colin_M
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Good luck with the sweetcorn. I'm ashamed to say I'm only just sowing the seed for mine now 
In addition to Tigger's advice, you can help nature pollinate sweetcorn by giving the maturing plants a gentle shake, once both sets of flowers are present. If for some reason it hasn't been windy enough to release the pollen, that might help.
Finally, one mistake I made with my first lot of sweetcorn was picking it as we needed it. As a result, the first ones were superb, but a week or so later, they started getting "average". Last year, I picked them all when they were ripe and froze the ones I couldn't use. The frozen ones were still excellent - much better than leaving them on the plant.
Has anyone else had this experience, or were you able to leave your ripe ones on the plant?
Colin
In addition to Tigger's advice, you can help nature pollinate sweetcorn by giving the maturing plants a gentle shake, once both sets of flowers are present. If for some reason it hasn't been windy enough to release the pollen, that might help.
Finally, one mistake I made with my first lot of sweetcorn was picking it as we needed it. As a result, the first ones were superb, but a week or so later, they started getting "average". Last year, I picked them all when they were ripe and froze the ones I couldn't use. The frozen ones were still excellent - much better than leaving them on the plant.
Has anyone else had this experience, or were you able to leave your ripe ones on the plant?
Colin
Have you planted your seeds yet? If I were you I'd plant in old toilet rolls under cover (greenhouse or warm window sill) to get them going. I have just planted mine out, but being in the Midlands must be different from Aberdeen!!! If they're in old toilet rolls you don't have to disturb the root just plant the seedling, toilet roll an' all. All other advice above seems pretty good. Remember you only get 1 or 2 cobs per plant, but by 'eck they're worth it. Hope you get some cobs this year!!! If not, do give it a go next year, and get them started under cover in early May.