Topic: Worth the wait...

[sweet-pea]

Last night I had my first ever sweetcorn from the lottie and it was well worth a three year wait! 

For the past three years I have tried growing sweetcorn, and I have no problem with getting it to grow.  The problem is in the harvesting because up until this year the resident rat has beaten me to every single cob! Last year I tried painting the cobs with garlic and chilli in the hope that it would act as a deterrant, but it didn't work.  I'd almost decided to give up on them, but thought I'd give it one more try this year.  I'd read about the plastic bottle method of protecting the cobs, so thought I'd give it a go.  And so far it is working :-)

So I'd like to thank whoever suggested the plastic bottle method for sharing (sorry I can't remember who's post I'd read!) it with us as I can now enjoy fresh, sweet, juicy sweetcorn :-)

[tim]

Rats, mice, foxes, deer, caterpillars, earwigs, slugs, pigeons, dry rot, wet rot, mildew, blight, RSM, aphid, white fly...........................but still we win out in the end?

[saddad]

We could get really depressed if we only thought about the problems couldn't we Tim... but there is so much good stuff...
 8)

[amanda21]

I wonder if we have a rat somewhere....or more likely loads!!  I've noticed that my sweetcorn (pathetic) and my neighbours (very NOT pathetic) have all been nibbled.  The husks(?) have been peeled back and the kernals munched on.  I thought pigeons but could they peel off the skins?

[supersprout]

Whoever passed on that tip should be dead chuffed ... well done Sweet Pea, hope you have much munching in years to come ;D ;D

[theothermarg]

I missed this plastic bottle tip but I can guess I thought about making net sleeves
and tying them at both ends I shall try both next year looking forward to my unmunched corn already

[colleenemp]

I love growing corn....no munching this year, but will bear the bottle thing in mind should I have trouble in the future, ta for re-passing on the idea!