Allotments 4 All

All seemed to be going well with good-sized cobs....but the kernels havent ripened (they are there but white and hard and clearly not ready).   Given that there doesnt seem to be any sign we will be getting any more sun and heat, do you think I should give up and try again next year.

many thanks for all the comments

I think you are giving up a wee bit too soon, I would only write them off when the first first gets them.  I can remember one year when the warmest day of the year was in October.  Is it dry where you are?   I found mine appreciated a bit of water to fattem them up.  I have one batch I sowed quite late and I still have my fingers crossed. 

I found the corn started off under plastic bottle cloches got them going very well.

Thanks Digeroo.... i'm south-east (and very wet here of late) but there's a been a bit of a nip in the air recently and thems-that-know think the frost might be here by end of the month.  i'm happy to keep things going but guess its a matter of keeping fingers crossed as not much else i can do. 

What have you got to lose by leaving them in, some of mine are not there let so I'll just leave them be.    ;D

If there are any which do not make it to the kitchen, then if anyone you know has chickens they will love it!

Normally I have picked my sweetcorn by now but this as been a bad year in my case, also others are having the same problem on our allotments, the tassels on my crop are turning very nicely, so same here I'm leaving them in, :)

This year mine seemed to have one cob well developed (and very delicious  :) :) ) and one small one, which I really couldn't see coming to anything

So I harvested them both at the same time, and I am using the little ones for stir fry.  If they have grown to big to cut up and use all the core, then I use as much as I can, then strip of the rest of the kernels and add those to the stir fry as well.

All the best
Sue

Harvested mine at the end of the Open Day yesterday, a few small unripe cobs but most are fine, so will be going in the freezer today.... ;D My plants were rather undersized this year, considering I used my usual seeds (Extra Tender & Sweet, aka Swift), but the cob size was normal. I have no idea why! Beds were heavily manured, the went out in mid May after the really dry spell so no clue really.

All mine are also very short this year.  Most are only shoulder height.  We had some very cold nights I wondered whether they set them back.   Several plot holders have them only waist high though they do seem to have cobs on them. I am now cropping my second batch and my third batch are only just starting to fatten up.   Lsst year I had quite  few as baby corn in October particuarly the second cobs.

I've had the first of my three batches, the others are a week or two behind... I still expect to pick them by the second week of October.... better do cos that's where I want to put the garlic and I'm going to need to sterilise the soil first....

Thanks for all the comments.  I will leave them in but think the chickens are going to be the eventual winners