[Sharon]

Had a really good afternoon at the plot today.
Had a large tub of stuff to bring home including my first 2 outdoor cucumbers and the first baby sweetcorn.
I am really pleased with both as it's my first year on the allotment and I thought these might be a bit tricky to grow.
I also picked my first outdoor pepper.
Any tips on picking baby sweetcorn, I'm not sure I was doing it right.

[SalJ1980]

Yay, congrats Sharon! No idea about picking the sweetcorn I'm afraid, my plants are still only this big (small):



So not even sure if I'll get any corn from them!  :?

[gobs]

Well done Sharon!

With the baby sc it is really just trial and error till you know by the looks and flavour and toughness, what stage to pick, there is hardly any pointers.

[Mike.white]

Yay, congrats Sharon! No idea about picking the sweetcorn I'm afraid, my plants are still only this big (small):



So not even sure if I'll get any corn from them!  :?

I think you'll certainly get a few cobs from the front ones there - looks like the female shoots are already forming ( the side stems)... I have a monster one in my garden - damned thing is about 5 foot high and so far has formed 6 cobs! (Must remember to grab a few seeds from it!!)

[Sharon]

Mine must be real monsters then.  Most of them are about 6 feet tall.  :o

[Porffor]

i have baby sweetcorn but didn't seperate them when I planted them up (bought them in a Garden centre). They are a little taller than yours but not much. fingers x'd we get something for our TLC.

Also planted an outdoor cucumber, have 2 fruits about 2 inches long but skinny as anything.. not sure if they'll come right or not.  :?

[SalJ1980]

I think you'll certainly get a few cobs from the front ones there - looks like the female shoots are already forming ( the side stems)... I have a monster one in my garden - damned thing is about 5 foot high and so far has formed 6 cobs! (Must remember to grab a few seeds from it!!)

Thanks Mike, that's reassuring! The ones in the front of the photo are the largest, but they're still only about knee high. Though I took that photo last night, but when I went up this evening and everything looks about twice the size!!!  :shock:  

[Porffor]

lol at the twice the size.. just tucked my chooks in and noticed mine have grown too.. and my cucumber is fattening up a little! well one of the two.

[chickchick]

can i ask how do you know how many cobs have formed? my sweetcorn are about 5 ft and had nice neat corn bits in middle but they are now opened out and not together anymore? any advice please!

[Kate and her Ducks]

Got some free baby sweetcorn seeds that I planteed in a disused wheelbarrow base and they are doing well but only 1 cob on each (not much af a meal). Can I leave them to grow on to become "corn an the cob" or are they really just good to be baby sweetcorn?

[Sharon]

Chickchick,
the cobs form in the junction between the leaves and the main stem.
You won't be able to see the actual cobs as they are covered.

[chickchick]

thanks sharon, are the top (looks like grass seeds), that were upright but now floppy the tassels? really confused as not grown them b4 and expected to see big, fat cobs!

[Sharon]

I am trying to find a picture for you.
The tassels, are like pieces of thick cotton and are floopy from the start.
Are you confusing the seeds at the very top of the plants with tassels ?

[Sharon]

I have found some pics to show you what I meant.  It's not my corn though.
 This is a corn cob growing in the joint between the leaf and the stem.
 The tufts at the top are the seeds.
Hope this helps.

[Elcie]

That's really helpful for me as well Sharon, thank you for the picutures.  Now I know what to look for if the tiny plants that I have planted grow!