[jambop]

I have some seed and not having grown it before was wondering when to get it sown ? The weather has been very poor down here, see posts  , but it will be better soon ... one hopes!

[Yorkie]

Are you planning to sow direct, sow in modules outside, or start off inside?

[jambop]

I was going to start them off in the poly tunnel Yorkie.

[Yorkie]

I'm not an expert on growing under cover, but I'd have thought if you usually start sweetcorn off about now, the minipop corn is the same.  By the time the plants are ready to go out (probably early May?), I presume your weather should be sufficiently warm at night?

[jambop]

Yes y May there is little chance of any really cold nights. I will sow some tomorrow in three inch pots in the poly tunnel and they will go out when the soil have dried out a bit

[sunshineband]

Usually I would sow around now to plant out in May like you suggest jambop, and with a polytunnel for a bit of extra shelter if you need, that plan should work well.

I found planting them fairly close together, and removing the male flowers as soon as they show gives a good crop.

[jambop]

First time I have tried to grow them. I will nip the flowers out as you suggest.... I take it that the male flower is the sort of plume that appears at the top  They should do well here ...well the farmers grow tonnes of maze without any drama. How close is fairly close together ?

[New shoot]

The male flower is the plume on top and close is really close.  Forget traditional sweetcorn spacing.  I crammed about 30 into a double row about 5m long last year.  We had loads 

[mumofstig]

That's the good thing about them - because they don't need pollination - you can put them in anywhere there's a gap, whether row or a few square feet 

[sunshineband]

That's the good thing about them - because they don't need pollination - you can put them in anywhere there's a gap, whether row or a few square feet 

And as they are ready to harvest before the kernels swell, rats tend not to notice them (I'll probably be sorry I said that  )