[mumofstig]

and waited for the tassels to turn brown.  I now know to remove these tassels before they develop.
Thanks all.

Just to clarify - the tassels you remove for minipop are at the top of the plant, the fluffy bits that turn brown at the top of the cobs on normal corn are called silks

[Kristen]

I'm not a big fan of regular sweetcorn

Have you had homegrown cooked immediately it was picked?  Like night-and-day compared to shop-bought corn (apparently the sugar starts turning to starch the moment it is picked, so a couple of days later, travelling to the shop and then home, is never going to be as good).

I've seen film of the cropping of Mini's (probably in Kenya or somesuch) and they make it look amazingly simple to get just the right size, but I suspect that the whole field is ready at the same time, so once that is determined they strip the lot.

Interesting that you start top-down, I would have expected the lower cobs to be ready sooner?

[mumofstig]

On my plants the upper cobs are the first to gow - or am I imagining things 

[Kristen]

I was relying on my memory .... several years since I have grown minicorn, so almost certainly I've forgotten.

Just seemed a bit odd to me that a growing corn plant would mature the cobs at the top before the bottom (ordinary corn is the otherway around, bottom cobs first ... unless I've misremembered that too?!)

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm growing them this year, I carefully cut off the top as soon as the tassels started to appear, gave it a couple of weeks and picked all the top cobs, but you have to be really careful pulling of the sheath leaves or the cobs break 
A week later I'm on to the lower cobs, and as they look to have 5 cobs on each plant - I don't think the yield will be that bad. (cos I'm used to only getting 1 and a half cob from ordinary sweetcorn  )

Spot on Mum... just what I did last year..

mmmmmm, never thought to take the tops off!    When I went to kent on 20th August, I had tiny cobs just forming, came back 11 days later and they are not 'mini' anymore!  Harvested them all yesterday, but only 2 cobs per plant.  Taste lovely though.  And the best sweetcorn plants I've ever seen.

We've just come back from taking the stalks over the tip with the conifer prunings.

[VegGirl7]

I've grown them for the first time ever this year and am really happy with them. 

Started removing the cobs around 4/5 days after the tassels appeared.  The cobs were on the large side - around 6/7 inches so I sliced them diagonally and they're really tasty (and only need one per portion which I'm pleased with because I don't have loads of plants - I will be growing more next year!)

not knowing any better, I left the tops on so I'm assuming they've been pollinated - it seems that if you catch them when the tassels just start to turn brown they're still good as a 'mini' corn, but I took one on sunday which was a bit browner and it's gone rather woody 


Now for silly question time....  can I leave the cobs that are left on the plants (only 1 or two on each) to grow into 'proper' sweetcorn?  Oh, it would be great if they do, I love sweetcorn!     

[gavinjconway]

You dont have to cut the tassles off - you just need to pick the cobs as early as possible.. I dont think it will turn out a feasable cob to eat if you leave them to set.

[Kristen]

I cut the tassels off more to stop them pollinating other corn nearby, rather than the mini-pop themselves.  I see varying reports to the contrary, but I think that Corn needs to be pollinated by same variety - there are pictures on here of cobs that have been cross pollinated and turned out a mishmash, plus the sweetness [of the new supersweet] varieties may be effected.

[gobs]

Sadly I don't have one, or able to borrow one.  I remember 1 year cutting them up, took forever!  I still have some of last years stalks in my compost pile

They are good for fencing and stakes if you dry them out, traditionally used for such in my country.

[gobs]

I've grown them for the first time ever this year and am really happy with them. 

Started removing the cobs around 4/5 days after the tassels appeared.  The cobs were on the large side - around 6/7 inches so I sliced them diagonally and they're really tasty (and only need one per portion which I'm pleased with because I don't have loads of plants - I will be growing more next year!)

not knowing any better, I left the tops on so I'm assuming they've been pollinated - it seems that if you catch them when the tassels just start to turn brown they're still good as a 'mini' corn, but I took one on sunday which was a bit browner and it's gone rather woody 


Now for silly question time....  can I leave the cobs that are left on the plants (only 1 or two on each) to grow into 'proper' sweetcorn?  Oh, it would be great if they do, I love sweetcorn! 

It might well depend on the variety - I'm not that knowledgeable about this part - but most will, I think. It only depends on your planting distance.

[gobs]

On my plants the upper cobs are the first to gow - or am I imagining things 

We are imagining them together, Les.

[mumofstig]

I'm so glad I'm not alone 

[VegGirl7]

Now for silly question time....  can I leave the cobs that are left on the plants (only 1 or two on each) to grow into 'proper' sweetcorn?  Oh, it would be great if they do, I love sweetcorn! 

It might well depend on the variety - I'm not that knowledgeable about this part - but most will, I think. It only depends on your planting distance.

they're in a block spaced around a foot apart and have started 'fattening' up so I've left them to see what happens - no harm in trying I suppose 

[GrowinGrowinGone]

I picked a load of mine the other day, the tassles had gone black.  I knew I had left them too long.  Result was, i ended up with a bin liner full of useless corn.  It appears I still have more growing so left the plants standing.  Pick them the size of a banana seems to be the biggest you should let them get in my opinion.  Looks like I will also diggin some big pits to bury all the plants when they have finished as they take forever to compost.

[gavinjconway]

If you plant real sweet corn you can pick baby corn from the suckers and proper sweetcorn from the main plants..