[3759allen]

first year of growing mini sweetcorn and not sure what size they should get to before harvesting.

if i have left them too long can you still eat them? and can you still eat them raw and eat  the centre?

thanks all

[mumofstig]

They are ready from about 2 weeks after the tassels (at the top) have opened, if you like them small, stirfry size.
If you want them a bit bigger then the silks will have turned pink 
I started on mine last week 

I'm not sure what they're like if left too late, I've not managed that yet 

[New shoot]

I did leave mine too long last year as I had a three week stretch when I couldn't get to the plot.  They went very hard and grain like, so were a dead loss for us to eat, but the chickens went wild for them 

Pick one and try it.  They are delicious raw, straight off the plant.  I've just started picking mine this year and we had the first few last night.  A totally different vegetable to the ones you buy in the shops    Once you taste them 3759allen, you won't be able to wait for the rest to be big enough to pick 

[Annen]

I grew them the first year of my allotment and once I discovered I could eat them straight off the plant, none ever got home.

[3759allen]

thanks for the advice.

i tried the biggest one, about 5 times the size of the ones in the supermarkets. still tasted pretty fresh and tender raw so i guess i can leave them to get to that size, to hopefully spread the harvest out.

looking back i could have probably started harvesting them weeks ago.

[stevieg]

I have 3 rows spaced about 10" apart the tallest 5ft tall some smaller due to next plots beans shading, very lush and green but no sign of forming cobs yet.