Topic: Who's Been Eating MY Sweetcorn?

[Emagggie]

It's a good job I stripped the cobs whilst on the plot  :o it looks like something very small has eaten some of my lovely sweetcorn. Some cobs have only a very few kernels left. I'm assuming it's mice, but maybe it's a plant fertilsation problem. I planted 9 in a square and all looks well from the outside.
Can anyone throw some light on the subject for me?

[flowerofshona2007]

 ;D it was meeeeeeeeeee >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gets coat LOL!

[STEVEB]

more than likely to be mice

[manicscousers]

were the kernels developed, we had a few not pollinated, made blank spaces,  :)

[Emagggie]

flowerofshona I shall now blame you for everything ;D
SteveB, I thought mice, but all look so undisturbed....tightly wrapped in their own leaves.
Manics the very few kernels left were developed...beautifully :( Now adorning the compost heap.

[saddad]

Sounds like a fertilisation problem then, try a bigger block say 25 plants next time, if you have space. If not grow minipop which doesn't need fertilising, for the immature pods for stir fries etc!
 :)

[Emagggie]

Saddad, I tried minipop the first time I grew it, but the family prefer grown-up corns  ::). No space for more yet, but I'm working on it. I did wonder about fertilisation as I thought any mouse that ate that quantity of corn must have exploded :o

[thifasmom]

i normally only grow about nine in a block as well and have poor pollination but from the other members here who are normally successful it appears in the space i was growing nine i probably could of grown at least 12/ 15, so next year i plant to grow in a 3 x 6 bed 18 to 28 sweetcorn plants and see if this helps with germination problems. its weird though when i was growing up my mum always grew the corn in a straight line against the chain link fence with perfect results ho hum :-\. This is in the west indies though.

[Emagggie]

Oooh so close!! I'll have to have a rethink :o

[saddad]

Another trick is to put two plants at each station... gives you twice as much pollen in the same space....  :-\

[flowerofshona2007]

I tried the 3 sisters bed and it worked ok but will lose a sister next year and just do the sweetcorn and squash as it was hard to pick the beans :)
Try shaking the plants as you pass them early on to spead the pollen further.


(phew i must have put the husks back neatly, the mice got the blame  ;D)

[nastybritishgardener]

If you use bush variety of beans it makes it easier.

[littlebabybird]

flowerofshona2007 the beans in a 3 sisters bed would i think probably been a drying type
so they wouldnt have needed picking untill the end of the season
lbb

[Bean_Queen]

We all know you should plant sweetcorn in a block because it's wind-pollinated.
However you can have too much of a good thing. Sweetcorn needs to be protected on very windy sites, or else the pollen gets blown away, instead of dropping down onto the plant.

Try planting in a sheltered position, and also tap/shake the plants when you pass them, to drop the pollen downwards

[thifasmom]

Another trick is to put two plants at each station... gives you twice as much pollen in the same space....  :-\

oh ok, then i am definately going for 28 plants in 3' x 6' bed space.

[Emagggie]

Me too ;D. Thanks for the tips everyone. I may have a problem with a sheltered spot though.It can be a bit breezy on our site. 2 to a station sounds a good idea so I'll cram 'em in next year.

[theothermarg]

flowerofshona2007 the beans in a 3 sisters bed would i think probably been a drying type
so they wouldnt have needed picking untill the end of the season
lbb

I grow black turtle beans amonst mine (acquired in a swop from lady cosmos are you still here?) I like to think they are putting nitrogen in the soil. I just pick them when sweetcorn is finished
ate my 1st cobb yesterday mmmmmmm
marg

[TheEssexYorkshireman]

I've always been told closer spacing leads to smaller cobs. This year I had 24 plants in a block 12/15 ins apart and cobs are averaging 10 ins.

[grawrc]

Apologies in advance. This is not totally on topic .


I came back from my lottie at the weekend with my first cob. Microwaved with butter and offered it to my son who said he didn't really like corn on the cob. I persuaded him to have a bite.

Several bites later he commented "this is just fantastic! It tastes nothing like the stuff you get in the shops! Got any more?"

Woohoo!  ;D ;D ;D

next one is mine!!! >:( >:(

[flossy]

  Hi NBG,

  I'll respond to you, if you will respond to me  :)

  I'm really interested in this topic, my corn fertilised , well produced fruit which I harvested the last cobs in one day as I lost a lot to neglect last year- another story !

 What is the 3 sisters method, and can you tell me more about it ?  You mention dwarf bean plants,
 can you clarify for me as I am on this site to learn anything and everything - aint it all just great!

Love my lottie , have you got one , or have you a garden big enough for veggies ?

Please dont mention my spelling !   :-[

Floss xxx