[hubballi]

I have some sweetcorn and the tips on the cobs have started to go brown. The cobs themselves still look undergrown and thinner than shop bought ones.

The question is, when do I know to pull them as I have tried peeling back the leaves but there are so many layers I don't want to damage the plant.

Is there any other way of telling ?

[skywatcher]

When they go a consistent chocolate brown then they are about ready. They are unlikely to reach the size you see in the shops but they do taste much better - no butter required. You can't do any harm by peeling the layers back but yes, there are many!

I have been cooking ours on the bbq, leaving a couple of layers of the leaves on, cook until the leaves go brown. They are delicious!

[hightide]

 hubballi Hi,

I found that if you peel back the outer leaves on the cob too soon, it allows in all sorts of undesirables who soon make a mess of the tips. One method of testing without intervention is to feel the tip, if it is still a point then the cob has not filled out so leave it for a while. If you feel the tip is rounded then it is worth peeling back the outer leaves to check for ripeness; push your thumbnail into a kernel if the liquid is clear the cob is still not ready, but if the liquid is milky then just before you leave harvest it and get it into the pot as soon as you get home.

Just sublime! and worth all the effort.

[NASH]

I have picked my first last week and they were not fully mature with different sized kernel's but boy it was fantastic. 

[diggerjoe]

picked my first at weekend, fantastic, last year I left them too long and they we inedible. Just put mine straight off the plant into the microwave for 4mins - peel back the leaves and bits and enjoy- family were queueing up in the kitchen

[lightyears]

We picked 10 cobs over the weekend and shared them around the family, ive had phone calls all morning asking for more lol!

[hubballi]

They are very small white looking cobs and the liquid is clear. Now it will let the slugs in.

[Hampshire Hog]

Hubballi don't forget you are quite a way north of some of us who are picking already.I would ask around and see how others are getting on locally I think the range for harvesting can be from mid august to end september depending on variety sowing time and weather.
I have been checking and it is hard to do without peeling back the leaves a bit. I had some on Tuesday and they were 95% ready. What we need is some sunshine for the "barbecue summer" to ripen them.   

You'll find they taste great once they are ready

Good luck HH

[Jeanieblue]

Mine aren't ready yet ... can't wait !!!!  Only put in 10 plants, will go for a maize maze next year !!!!

[Beetroot queen]

We had our second ones today, the first lot last week were no ready (we ate them anyway)

I pulled back the top leaves and the tops looked formed and yellow and the rest of the cob was perfect.

[Tattyanne456]

dont bother cooking them!! We eat ours straight from the plant...Mmmmmm

[SalJ1980]

Hi Huballi, I'm in N. Wales not a million miles from you, and won't be picking my sweetcorn for a good couple of weeks yet. The tassels have started to go brown but they are not especially plump yet. I'm hoping they will ripen - last year I had loads of cobs but they never ripened and we didn't get to eat a single one! 

[Riala]

I appear to have a wasp problem on one of my sweetcorn..erm.. stalks?

They close to the bottom and there are 4 wasps, they have been there for 5 days now, all seem to be eating the stalk!

[MoreWhisky]

Took my to sons to lotty last night with one of those little BQs u buy for £1.99.

Pulled 3 sweetcorns and they went straight on. Lovely.

Then we chargrilled  some tomatoes that where ready (money makers,red alert,gardners delight) mmmmmm.

Think i finally impressed 2 teenagers with the joys of lotty owning . O and the 1 can of beer each one was allowed helped ).

[DD.]

Took two dozen cobs to the church coffee morning & nearly started a riot!