MAIZE

[annppayne]

One of my allotment neighbours comes from Kenya and is trying to grow Maize as he would have done back home.

The plants themselves have grown well and are about 8 feet tall and look very green and healthy, but there have been no flowers and no cobs.

Our allotments are in Northampton.    From the experience of our members, is it possible to grow maize in our climate and are there any tips which can be relayed to him.

Ann

[annppayne]

[ceres]

Maize is just another name for corn aka sweetcorn which certainly grows here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize

Where did he get the seed?  If it's a Kenyan variety, it may not be best suited to UK growing conditions.  How did he sow/plant?  It doesn't like being rootbound in a pot so it may have had a growth check.  Did he plant it late?

[Digeroo]

I'm with Ceres lots of people growing sweet corn suggest something bred specially for our cooler/wetter conditions.  Farmers also grow maize (not sweet) for meal.

[annppayne]

I should have added to my first message, that he has grown about 20 rows of Sweet Corn which are now ready for harvesting and so can be considered as being successful.

However his rows of Maize looks good and healthy but have not produced the cobs he was hoping for.

His seed came from Africa and I wondered if a seed better suited to our weather conditions is available in England.

Ann

[Mr Smith]

Annppayne,
                It is only a few weeks ago one variety of my sweetcorn had no tassel's and then they appeared being a late variety, probably this could be the case with the Maize which in this country is grown narmally for animal feed, :)

[thifasmom]

just did a search in yahoo titled 'uk maize varieties' and this is one of the links that came up, there are many other links to check out though.

http://home.limagrain.co.uk/maize/4/index.phtml

[Digeroo]

Farmers round here grow it as a forage crop.  Not sure we have a long enough season to grow it as a meal crop.  Seems some do grow it in the far south.

On a google for grain maize uk I also found varieties Meribel and Baltis mentioned.  The problem will be getting small domestic quantities.   Most people want the sweet juicy types.  They seem to quote by the acre.  The only non sweet which are easy to come by are the ornamental varieties. 

[chriscross1966]

IIRC Aztec Gold and Blue Hopi are considered suitable for our climate. I'm growing Blue Hopi this year in Oxford and despite my rubbish husbandry (it needs too much water to have been happy in its builders bag) I've got a crop... but they haven't gone blue yet.....

You could ask around any farmers nearby for a cupfull of Meribel etc.... remember that with horticultural rather than agricultural techniques you can put 4-5 weeks on the growing season for maize... start indoors, cloches when they go out etc.... a field of maize can only be commercially sown aftter frost risk has passed... mid-may round here, but you could start them off at the end of March in pots, out towards the end of April with a cloche and fleece to back it up in case....

[Chrispy]

Seems some do grow it in the far south.

Yes, somebody grew African maze (I am told) on our site down here is 2007, only saw the end of it as I only got my plot that December, but it had loads of unharvested cobs.
Can't help with tips as the person has now left