Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: lisa80 on August 03, 2009, 14:42

Title: sweetcorn????
Post by: lisa80 on August 03, 2009, 14:42

hi all is my first year of growing sweetcorn put seeds in late april ,some are about 5 foot and have pinkish tassles each one looks like there is at least 3 cobs on it .How can i tell when they are ready???? some cobs look quite fat but oh wouldnt let me open one up to check, i know the corn should be milky when you sqeeze it i think???? help please dont want them to go to waste.

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: sunshineband on August 03, 2009, 14:54

I think you harvest them whent he tassles change colour to brown  :D

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: lauren on August 03, 2009, 17:01

I harvested my first one at the weekend to see if they were ready.  The white tassels had been brown for a while and dried out - but I dont think mine were quite ready yet.....

The bottom 2/3 of the cob looked fine but the top third  was shrivelled and looked not right!  Does anyone know if this was due to the fact I harvested too early or was if yust not fully pollinated?

Its my first eayr too and mine were planted April time :)

Thanx

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: diggerjoe on August 03, 2009, 17:05

my sweetcorn have grown really well al about 4 foot high  but only about 5 out of the 60 planted have any sign of a cob they seem to be  well 'cob-less' all same variety tender and true I think they are - can you get a year when there are no cobs  bit like you can get bulbs that do not flower?

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: Bombers on August 03, 2009, 17:32

Quote from: lisa80 on August 03, 2009, 14:42

hi all is my first year of growing sweetcorn put seeds in late april ,some are about 5 foot and have pinkish tassles each one looks like there is at least 3 cobs on it .How can i tell when they are ready???? some cobs look quite fat but oh wouldnt let me open one up to check, i know the corn should be milky when you sqeeze it i think???? help please dont want them to go to waste.

You need to peel back the outer layers to get to the cob. Then stick your fingernail into the corn. If it's milky, it's ready.

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: lisa80 on August 03, 2009, 17:50

thanks bombers, will tell oh that and hopefully will let me touch them!!!!!hes very protective of our crops!!!!!

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: maxie on August 03, 2009, 19:34

Quote from: diggerjoe on August 03, 2009, 17:05

my sweetcorn have grown really well al about 4 foot high  but only about 5 out of the 60 planted have any sign of a cob they seem to be  well 'cob-less' all same variety tender and true I think they are - can you get a year when there are no cobs  bit like you can get bulbs that do not flower?

Ive got two varieties in my allotment and ones got the tassels on and are pollinating,the other hasnt got any on but they went in a fortnight later so maybe they are just a little late.

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: lisa80 on August 03, 2009, 20:04

Have just checked one of cobs on one thats tassles were brown and they dont look ready yet. looks like i will get plenty tho i did read on here on someones thread that you only get one or two cobs per plant??? theres three at least on each of mine  so im very happy :) :)

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: mumofstig on August 03, 2009, 20:19

I picked one of mine today as the tassels were brown, the bottom of the cob was full and milky but the top was still a bit pale and small......It tasted lovely :D Think it was a bit too early so i will leave the rest for a few more days before i try again

Title: Re: sweetcorn????
Post by: kittiwake on August 06, 2009, 20:49

I found this really useful PDF on google about sweetcorn

http://www.bathgardencenter.com/info_sheets/sweet%20corn.pdf (http://www.bathgardencenter.com/info_sheets/sweet%20corn.pdf)

kitti