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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: manicscousers on July 12, 2008, 16:33:03

Title: sweet corn
Post by: manicscousers on July 12, 2008, 16:33:03
as you can see from the picture, our sweetcorn are growing well  ;D
question is, there are about 4 small 'cobs' on the bottom of the plant, obviously they won't grow full size, do I leave them on or take off and use as baby corn now ?
never had so many before  ???
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: Mushy Pea on July 12, 2008, 17:46:16
Hi Manicscousers,

Your sweetcorn look well. More advanced than ours.

(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y289/pigbun/DSC00164.jpg)

When do we know when they are ripe enough to pick?

Sorry we are just learners too so can't answer your question but we'd like to know too.
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: manicscousers on July 12, 2008, 17:49:53
the silky bits go dark brown, when that happens, you peel back a bit of the outside, if the corn is lovely and gold, just pop one bit with your nail, if the liquid is creamy, they're ready, then you can enjoy them  ;D
the outside ones are always behind those under cover, a bit of warm weather and sunshine would help, too  ;D
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: tim on July 12, 2008, 17:54:12
Dark brown& dry. If you peel back & leve them, the Earwigs will get in!

Bottom ones? Mostly, the advice is leave them be.
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: manicscousers on July 12, 2008, 18:20:53
thanks, tim, I'll leave them for now  ;D
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: allaboutliverpool on July 12, 2008, 21:08:55
I am ever one to experiment.

Why not pull the small ones off a couple of the plants and record what happens, we would be all interested to know.

By the way are they in a polytunnel, they are very advanced?

Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: KathrynH on July 12, 2008, 21:23:57
I'd take them off so that those that are left get all of the goodness and grow to full size. Better to have less good ones than lots that are not so good.
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: manicscousers on July 12, 2008, 21:53:30
yes, been in the poly since march, I've got 12 plants so will take the small bottom ones off a couple tomorrow and see if it does anything either way  :)
Title: Re: sweet corn
Post by: Sally A on July 13, 2008, 13:12:41
Leave the bottom ones as they are.  They won't form into full cobs, but you should still get a tidy amount of kernals from them.