Topic: Sweetcorn blocks???

[Jesse]

how tall do borlotti bean grow though, mine last year weren't that successful but I'm sure they grew much taller than my sweetcorn plants. The french beans didn't grow as tall so were ideal for the sweetcorn.

[sandersj89]

how tall do borlotti bean grow though, mine last year weren't that successful but I'm sure they grew much taller than my sweetcorn plants. The french beans didn't grow as tall so were ideal for the sweetcorn.

Mine got up 10' canes without a problem and would have gone higher. As a crop to use with corn I think they would be too tall and heavy.

Jerry

[dingerbell]

I had a superb crop of sweetcorn last year, my only tip is to ensure that the roots are allowed to develop before transplanting because of the possibility of being blown over. I planted mine on the allotment when they were about 6" high.  I underplanted some of mine with perpetual Spinach which gave me an extra crop on very limited space. I froze nearly 80 cobs straight from the plant and they are as sweet as when I picked them. No need to blanch if they are going to be eaten within a few months. Just getting near the end of my supply now. Can't wait for the next harvest.

[sarah]

hi everyone. this is a great site full of valuable information.  At some point i will introduce myself in the appropriate place.  i am planning to follow this three sisters idea on my half plot this year aswell.  jesse,  i am a bit worried that my sweetcorn will get strangled by the beans, did this be a problem when you grew them together, and did you plant them at the same time (sweetcorn and beans) and then plant the spuashes later? i would like to get this right if poss! :)

[kenkew]

I lwasys start mine in 3" paper pots and plant out as soon as the last frost has gone....don't always get that right! But paper pots mean no root disturbance and therefore no growth check. Some in the pots are quite a size before they make it into the ground.

[Jesse]

Sarah, the beans did grow quite tightly around the sweetcorn but seemed to have no detrimental effect on their production, both beans and sweetcorn produced very well. I started all the crops in pots first (otherwise the slugs would have had a feast), the sweetcorn and beans were planted together and both seemed to grow at equal pace. The squashes and pumpkins did grow quicker but they weren't planted right next to the sweetcorn so by the time they encroached around the sweetcorn plants the sweetcorn was already a decent height above the pumpkin foliage. I'd say the sweetcorn were about 15cm tall by the time they were planted out.

[sarah]

thats great. thanks, i will follow that advice.

[flowerlady]

Hi Sarah,  just thought I'd add my twopenneth!!  ;)

I too grew the 3 sisters together.  Flowerdew says you can scramble beans up the corn but I wasn't sorted for that! 

I had the sweetcon in a block with nasturtiums at their base.   In the gaps I planted french beans.  Bang next door I had 2 wigwams of runners, and the cubits were planted around the edge of the whole block.

Nasturtiums certainly held the fly at bay, and encouraged 'friendlies' to do strut their stuff!! ;D

The marrows were fine, but I had never grown butternut before and I was surprised how they traveled!!

I have subsequently learnt that it's not a bad idea to limit the number of 'branches' a butternut puts out, and also to 'stop' their growth after about 5-6 feet.  Bearing in mind that the UK seems pushed to produce these due to lack of heat and sun this seems a good idea.

I know on here I have discussed with others the concept of growing betternuts vertically up a support.  Again if space is limited this is a great idea.  They get better exposure to sun and do not rot :o

Production wise, the three veg grow well together and I too had bumper crops.  I will certainly be repeating the process this year.  ;)
Hope this helps.

[Jesse]

flowerlady hope you don't mind me adding about the butternut....I would rather limit their growth after they have set a few fruits rather than at a certain length otherwise you may end up with squash plants and no fruits, make sure the squash have asolutely set before pinching out side shoots and growing tip as sometimes the little squash abort and you don't want to be left with a vine and no fruit. :)

[flowerlady]

Great idea, I told you I hadn't grown them before   ;D

[sandersj89]

Another tip for squash, help the pollination with a soft brush or "introduce" a male flower into the female flower to help things along.

I grew butternut for the first time last season and had about 20 fruit of 2 plants that way.

HTH

Jerry

[Jesse]

That is good Jerry, I only got 4 off my plant!

[sarah]

butternut will definately be my squash of choice this season as they are my favourite so that is very useful info, thanks.  just thinking about sweetcorn and beans and tickling squash flowers reminds me of warm days and butterflies, and long evenings in the garden....sigh :)

[amanda21]

I love butternut and definitely want to grow some...but can I aks yet another newbie question - when you talk about making sure the fruit has set - what does this mean and how do I know when it's set...enough?

[Jesse]

When the female flowers appear on the plant you'll notice a small roundish swelling behind the flower, wait a few days until the swelling grows larger and looks like a minature butternut, until it reaches this stage it can simply turn yellow and not develop any further, this happens when pollination has not been successful and doing what Jerry suggested would probably go a long way to preventing this. Usually the first flowers on the plant are male and they'll simply drop off, don't panic, the female flowers will come and if pollination is successful they'll develop into little butternuts.