Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: gypsy on September 30, 2009, 16:40
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Hello, I was wondering how hardy sweetcorn is, will it survive the frost that we may get on thursday night? Mine are very very nearly ripe but could do with a few more days in the ground. :unsure:
Catherine
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Only 50 or so miles north of you and I harvested mine last week. Like you, I wanted a bit more sun and got a couple of days so went for it. Why not harvest and cook one straight away and if it's ok, then do the rest. :lol:
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The first frost will brown the leaves of sweetcorn but will not spoil the cobs. They will stop developing without leaves so will need to be eaten soon after while they are sweet.
I would leave them on until this happens. If our weather forecasters are as good as usual there may well be no frost, or maybe not enough to affect sweetcorn.
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Thankyou for your help. I cooked one and I think a sunny day would have made it a bit sweeter, but it was certainly ok. The kernels were a bit pale and there were a few white ones at the tassle end. I will leave the rest of the cobs on the plants for the time being and see what the weather throws at us.
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There's often a few white ones at the end (incomplete pollination ? ? ), but it's better to eat em a bit too early, than a bit too late ;)
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At this time of year, I'd be inclined to accept what you've got. I don't think they're going to ripen much more, more likely the ripe one will go tough, rather than the white ones fill out & ripen.
Let's face it, the chance of a long sunny day has mathematically gone.
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Oh DD! do you have to mathematically bring me into the real world :lol: Thanks folks. CC
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I left mine too late last year and as Dave says they went rather tough, ended up being fodder for the chickens :)
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checked em today, some ok, some not ripe, some mouse nibbled, will harvest them very soon. CC