Allotments 4 All

hi all, can anyone tell me how many cobs i should get on my plants? i'm just trying to work  out how many to grow. i have never grown them before (never grown anything for that matter) so any advice appreciated :)
also i understand about blocking but is there a best size?
thank you
lbb

2 on most these days,occasionally you might get three and with some varieties only 1. The best number to get in order to get good cobs is two though,

XX Jeannine

I grew sweetcorn for the first time last year.  Got only one on each plant in bed that was not manured and got two on bed that was well manured.

Different type in each bed and on different ends of the plot (seems that you should not grow different types too close.

I am sure you will get better advice but good luck.  They all tasted brill when eaten as soon as picked.  ;D

gosh is that all :( there go my dreams of eating loads of corn, i was hoping that since it needs so much space it might have a higher yeald
thank you for the answers

Two seems to be the norm. Plant out in a 3x3 or 4x4 block to increase chances of pollination.....eaten raw off the plant is pure heaven.

ok, i know i am going to love the taste of all my mega fresh grown by me stuff but what is going to give me good/the best yields to feed every one?

You will find that 2 is really all you want, the commercial growers actually prefer the ones that give two as they are better corn. Corn grows pretty tall but you don't need to have a huge space to get plenty of cobs, you need only allow 1 square foot a plant. If planting in rows plant four rows, 30 inches  apart with plants every 8 inches in rows. If planting in blocks plant every every 12- 15 inches both ways.

XX Jeannine

how about the 'baby' ones, you get many more off them and they're good in stir fries  :)

I am not sure what you mean by your last question?

Don't forget to give them a shake from time to time to help the pollination  :)

Quote from: Jeannine on March 10, 2008, 19:15:41
You will find that 2 is really all you want, the commercial growers actually prefer the ones that give two as they are better corn. Corn grows pretty tall but you don't need to have a huge space to get plenty of cobs, you need only allow 1 square foot a plant. If planting in rows plant four rows, 30 inches  apart with plants every 8 inches in rows. If planting in blocks plant every every 12- 15 inches both ways.

XX Jeannine

Jeannine, stop it.....I'm slavering all over the keys!!! :P

oh so you can grow them quite close together??? I was thinking of lining them up along my paths, so they don't really take up an individual patch of their own - and every 8 inches seems quite close together.
Can anyone tell me how to grow them? do you sow in tubs or pots and then plant them out? and when should I do that? I have 30 Lark seeds this year.

They should to be planted in blocks (I think for pollination reasons) so single line planting probably isn't a good idea

My way:
3rd week April; I scatter seed along severel layers of wet tissue in a seed tray. I put the lid on and leave it somewhere warm for 4 days.
I then plant each seed singly in a tall paper pot. (They don't like root disturbance.)
Grow on in the greenhouse and harden off for 2/3 days before planting out in late May.
I put mine in blocks of 4x4 about 15" apart and expect to harvest late August.
When the 'silk' on the cob top has withered, pull back one leaf so you can see a few kernels. Press your thumb nail into one. If it squirts out milky....it's ready.
Take a firm hold and push downwards. It should snap off the plant. Take it round the back of your shed and scoff it all by yourself.
Failing that, get it home ASAP and boil it for 5 mins in a pan of water.....eat with melted butter you lucky thing you.
Ken.

Since I started 2 years ago I have used those cardboardy peat pot style pots (can't remember what they're called but they don't have peat in them) and they have worked well. I've run out of those but have rather a lot of root trainers - has anyone tried using root trainers for sweetcorn?

PS not dexterous enough for paper pots :)

yep, we grow ours in rootrainers, barnowl..works very well..not dextrous enough here, either  ;D

Would toilet roll inners be any good as well, I've been saving them since Christmas and have a garage full now.

and if they are, can they just be left in the ground to rot or do they need to be removed before planting?  :)

never got on very well with T roll tubes I always use root-trainers. last year my sweetcorn went potty and produced as many as 6 on some plarts however only 2 grew into proper cobbs, I think if it happens this year I will remove the small ones so the energy goes to the top ones and I will be using the protection of (ventilated) plastic bottles again
marg

Quote from: Tatiana on March 11, 2008, 16:46:39
and if they are, can they just be left in the ground to rot or do they need to be removed before planting?  :)

I've used toilet rolls and find them good for sweetcorn. At planting time, you'll find the rolls are just about falling to pieces anyway, but if not, just poke your thumb through the sides and then plant the lot, plant and roll.