Sweetcorn

[caroline7758]

I have had one decent cob so far this year. Although the tassles on others have gone brown, they are quite small and when I peel back the leaves they are clearly not ready- tiny white kernels and no "milkiness". Is it worth pampering them in any way or should I just put the poor crop down to the dry summer?

I planted them with my squash, as "two sisters". the squash have done well, but I've found it difficult to water the corn.

[caroline7758]

[Tee Gee]

should I just put the poor crop down to the dry summer?

I think so!

Just a point; As a general rule plants with a hollow stem generally require more water than solid stemmed plants.

I am guessing yours have had at least one occasion of where they virtually dried out so the stem may have emptied, and never really filled up again meaning the cobs were starved of moisture as well.

Then depending on how well you prepared your plot with 'humus' the squash ( another moisture hungry plant) would be competing for the available moisture as well!.

Well that how I see it, perhaps the others have different views on the matter.

[goodlife]

oh...I think the pampering bit is too late now..other than making sure that there is moisture available for the roots. If the kernels have been pollinated then it is just waiting game.
I've still got sweetcorn that is only just starting to 'swell up'..and as it has been raining I'm hoping some good things to come... ;)
There is no rush..they are clearly not ready yet... ;)

[peasmad]

I grew my sweetcorn in ton bags inside my tunnel this year. I usually grow them in grobags, but I filled the ton sacks with matured farm manure ontop of a load of dry chicken bedding. They have done really well. I also grew them with squashes and melons, but sadly they have virtually failed.

[Digeroo]

My sweetcorn was brilliant this year put it down to the hot dry summer.  I did not water it much at all.  I thought it liked it hot and dry.  T&M bicolour large number of huge well filled cobs nice texture, and sundance did well too nice flavour.  Incredible and Blue Hopi not done well.  Franchis offering went in rather late so unfortunately rather wet when it had the tassles.  Earlybird just ripening also went in late.

[bedrockdave]

I too have grown sweetcorn  with sqaush this year for the first time and its the last. this has got to be my worst year for sweetcorn, some havent even got cobs on :(

[cornykev]

Also my worst year for sweetcorn, I gave it a good watering in the dry spells chicken pellet fed but I have not had one sweetcorn, my germination was OK but they all died in their pots, so I direct sowed, still with enough time to grow, I have some cobs on them but can't see them coming to anything now.  :'( :'( :'(

[1066]

well my sweetcorn has been better this year (after all the trials and tribulations of germination), but seems very slow to ripen as well. I tried a few squash plants in and around them and they've done badly  :-\

[earlypea]

I've had some nice cobs this year.

If you like coloured corn - then Painted Mountain is very practical; easy to protect because it's short and it seems to ripen nice and early here.  Sown early June, eaten past couple of weeks - earliest mid-August nabbed by birds.

Every time I open one it's like unwrapping a present because you don't know which colours you'll get inside and it tastes really interesting for me.

[1066]

Oh I like that description earlypea  :)

[gp.girl]

Great year for me, best ever really. Didn't water except when planted, no problems but we didn't have as bad a drought as some. Bit of horse manure and sprinkling of feed. Plants looked half dead (yellow) when they went in didn't think I'd get a thing. Everyone else seems to have had good crops too.