Sweetcorn and Letuce

[Cuke]

Quick question for all the experienced bods out there...
I'm working in a small veg patch in my garden this year while I wait for an allotment and I got a patch of sweetcorn all planted out yesterday but since they have to be spaced out 15 inches or so and I'm short of space I was wondering how sensible it would be to plant something small inbetween them, like letuce for example...?

[Cuke]

[SueSteve]

Hi Cuke,
Ever heard of the 3 sisters?
Where you plant sweetcorn, have beans growing up the sweetcorn, and squash growing underneath.
They had it on the Grow your own veg programme, check out the BBC website, they may have more info on this.
Sue
(Still no vacant plots here, will let you know if I hear of any!)

[Jeannine]

You don't need 15 inches between you corn.8 ,maximum 12 inches if you have bought corn with 2 cobs or extra large cobs. 8-10 inches is fine for all others.Rows 30inches apart.
If you plant something among them you run the risk of depleting the corn with nutrition, that dosen't happen with the three sisters method because the beans actually provide nitrogen which is why it is done,It doesn't take from the soil,it gives to it.
The other problem is that corn is shallow rooted and disturbing it to remove something is not good, plus what you grow wll be quickly shadowed by the corn and it would suffer.
Keep your corn weed free until 18 inches high, then leave it alone, cultivating around it will damage it's shallow roots.

XX Jeannine

[Cuke]

Ahhhh ok, that makes sense, thought I may be asking a bit much of the soil :)
I should have asked about the space before I planted them out by the sounds of it, the book and seed packet said 15-18 inches, in reailty I probably planted them a bit closer than 15 as I was a bit short on space. hope them being a bit farther than 8-10 inches appart doesn't harm them. I know they need to be close'ish to pollenate...

[Jeannine]

They will be OKat 15 inches, it shouldn't affect the pollination, you could have got a few more in. Good luck, there is nothing like the first corn, I munch it raw, straight off the cob.Try it microwaved still in it's husk do need to wrap it, 3 minutes onlyXX Jeannine

PS Don't try it with the supermarket junk though!!!

[sand]

Could I plant them in amongst dwarf beans then?

Sand