Is anyone growing Ashworth sweet corn? It is supposed to be 4 ft high yet mine has only just produce the male and is already 5-6 ft. so is going to be 7-8 ft high. Also not much sign of females yet. They are supposed to be early, and many people on our site have varieties already with tassles.
The area they are growing in was 80-100% pure gravel, so I mixed loads of manure in. Did not expect them to do very well, but they are on a take over bid. Most are producing 2 or 3 stems and some four.
I've got some Ashworth coming along. They were my second sowing - first was "Double Standard". Both from Real seeds - did you get yours from there? The Double Standard are huge and now have lots of tassels. My Ashworth, like yours, is just producing the male heads but is much shorter - not as tall as me (5'4")! I thought it was lack of tlc on my part - rushed to plant it out as I was going away then it had to cope with some rather chilly weather, so am pleased it survived at all.
Yes mine also came from Real Seeds too. Only ordered one variety. Looks like I might have got a bit of a mix up. I really cannot believe that a 4 ft variety would end up 8 ft tall.
Presume I will find out when if I get any cobs. Problem is that I choose the short variety becuase it is a bit of a windy situation. Also planted far too close for an 8 ft monsters.
Didn't pay nearly as much attention to what I was growing as you. Just got carried away by the sowing sweetcorn thread and became obsessive about not leaving them in the modules for more than 21 days ;D. Planted both varieties at the same spacing they all seem happy. Will be interested to hear what your cobs are like - hope you do get lots in the end.
Anne
I sowned mine in four batches, and mine was doing the best one our site. But several other people now have cobs forming and mine are still growing ever taller. Lost one batch while on holiday. But all rest doing fine.
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Too much nitrogen can inhibit the formation of female flower in corn. How much manure did you dig in?
I have a lack of ears on my corn too, my plot was the site of the communal manure heap for many many years, I fear maybe my ground is too nitrogen rich, my corn is hugely bushy and tall compared to everyone else's, and my potato plants are enormous.
I thought they needed a lot of nitrogen, they all have a companion bean plant.
Quote from: Digeroo on July 07, 2009, 21:46:42
I thought they needed a lot of nitrogen, they all have a companion bean plant.
They love nitrogen, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Whoops looks like I have a lot of leaves. At one stage they all went rather yellow so I gave them extra nitrogen.
Quote from: Digeroo on July 07, 2009, 22:08:23
Whoops looks like I have a lot of leaves. At one stage they all went rather yellow so I gave them extra nitrogen.
Hopefully they'll put on ears, later if not sooner. Some of mine are doing so now, and my plot seems to be ludicrously nitrogen rich.
Not saying you're doomed, just that the huge height and lack of ears may be down to excess nitrogen.
One tassle has appeared this morning, hopefully the rest with get the hint soon and follow suit.
Have a few tassels on my Ashworth now too. Here is a pic, the Ashworth in the foreground. Double Standard behind. Think you can just about make out the height difference.
From your photo looks like Real seeds may have sent me the double standard instead of Ashworth.
I'm not fussy about the variety as long as it produces something. Problem is wind is knocking over the plants and I have had to put in support.
I choose the Ashworth because I like the story about the seeds being selected by rats. Seems that the rats stole the sweetest kernals, and Ashworth then stole them back from the rats and used them for breeding.
I am lucky on my plot as almost all plots on the site are fenced with corrugated sheeting about 3' high - to keep out them pesky rabbits, but it also seems to cut down the wind. Have not needed to support mine so far.
Now I am completely confused. The third patch (socond batch died) is now strating to produce males and is only half the height of the first batch. I am sure they are the same seed because I only had two types in the house. The other type has red stems and a red streak down the leaves so is very distinctive.
It is possible to get a rogue in a batch but I do not think that I could have selected 11 out of 56 and them all to be rogues.
Soil same - 25% manure/75% gravel..
Weather conditions?
I have found them really helpful at Real Seeds so it could be worth dropping them an e mail.
Well I wasted a worry. There was another thread and they suggested that their corn was not producing females only males.
Well they have gone into production good and proper. Most of the plants suddenly showed they had females and not only that they are producing two. Lets hope all the wind does not blow the pollen away too fast.