[Growster...]

Our sweetcorn has only just topped four ft, and they look like miniatures of the normal plants we've grown over the years, which have easily topped six ft!

Wandering down to our old allotments today, (to give the new crowd some un-needed cloches), I chatted with an old chum, and their sweetcorn was doing exactly the same!

The plants are developing as normal, but are very small, so is this a watering problem, or a feeding situation?

This may be the year we say 'Oh *******', they were a waste of time! Better luck next year!

[Kleftiwallah]

Good evening Growster, wait until you have a cob in your hand, then make a choice.

Cheers,   Tony.

[mumofstig]

Have you grown the usual variety this year, or a different one?
Years ago I grew Incredible and that was very tall compared to my usual Lark or Swift.

[JayG]

I think sweetcorn may respond to day length, so if they have a poor start to the growing season (as was the case here during a mostly very cool June) they may start the flowering cycle before reaching their usual height.

(Just a theory - mine aren't showing any signs of flowering yet, which is just as well as they're only about 2' tall at the moment!)

[Growster...]

Thanks for these replies!

They just seem to be growing shorter stems, but the cobs are forming, so they may be a different variety from previous years.

We buy the seedlings from a local GC, and I guess my chum down the road got his there as well.

I'll check when we're next in there, but there was no sign of the variety on the pack when we bought them. It's our favourite GC, so we'll get a result somehow!

[Goosegirl]

I have to grow mine in the g-house because the winds tend to blow the pollen off the forming silks, so I've just measured mine and they're between 6-7' from tassel to root. They're called Bountiful and haven't tried them before and there's no description of how tall they grow. I've grown Lark and Swift before, and once tried the Incredible which tried to push its way out of the g-house window so I don't know if they're doing well or not.

[goose]

TBH, now you mention it, my lark don't seem as tall as previous years but they are beginning to flower.  im also growing Tyson and they are similar size (about 4ft max) although ive never grown these before so don't know how big they grow (although by the name, I would have thought huge! )

for once, I didn't plant them out too early as it was rather cold and they all look really healthy (apart from height).  lets hope that the energy they haven't used in height, gives us beautiful cobs

[Yorkie]

Mine are about 18" and I can start to see something forming in the centre of it 

[I Love Spuds]

I have the same thing with mine Yorkie! I'm just hoping I get something decent.
I haven't grown this variety (Swiss special from real seeds) before, so I'm not sure how tall they should be. I'd guess not 2 foot though!?!

[simon hughes]

Well I think at best mine about 2.5ft. Never grown em before so no idea what to expect but I guess they should be bigger 

Oh well!

[Goosegirl]

Here's how my Bountiful look at the moment in my g-house. As I said before I don't know how tall they grow, but having grown Incredible the other year I hope I can get in to harvest them! 

[Aidy]

Mine are around 5 feet at the mo, last year they were hitting 8-10 but then we had that mad summer for months on end and this year has been more the norm.

[Chris929]

Just had a check on mine last night and approx 25% are about 2ft and forming tassels