[slopym]

I've only had my plot two years, so, I'm still building up the beds, this year I started my sweetcorn off in pots, I had two types, Ovation F1 and Double Standard. I grew Ovation F1 last year and it did quite well, Double Standard is open pollinated so I thought I'd try it.

The weather wasn't great for sweetcorn, they did not start well when I planted them into their separate beds, but, eventually they did start growing, but, Ovation F1 was doing well and Double Standard was not, I recently harvested the double standard, just a few thin cobs, some plants with no cobs and a few more cobs not worth picking.

My Ovation F1 is doing great, it is near to the time for harvesting, so, I had a look to see if any were ready, I noticed one of these plants was different, it had a red tinge in at the leaf stems, just like the Double Standard, so, I inspected the cob and it was Double Standard (easy to spot as the kernels are different colours, yellow and white). This double standard was doing fine, just like the Ovation.

When the plants were in pots, I had to move them and got them mixed up, but, didn't think more about it. This double standard had been planted in the bed with the Ovation. I know cross pollination can change the corn, but, not the plant, so, I'm quite sure it is double standard and not that the Ovation had crossed with the double standard, they are 10 yards apart.

So, all this time I was swearing not to buy double standard again, when, in fact, the difference was in the quality of the two beds.

Lesson learned


 :?

[muntjac]

can i ask when you sowed the seed and planted them out as most times i grow it , i dont harvest till end sept and the cobs are just fine .i put grease around the stems to stop earwigs i sow  april 20th in pots in a cold frame  if planting straight to ground i do it in first week may .planting out the potted ones in mid june with a good feeding of potash in the soil  , a feed of my fertiliser mix in july and then again in august when the cob leaves look to be setting harvesting them just as they turn brown at the tips .if left thye come to be tasteless and mealy. a cob tht is ready should just be milky when pierced with the finger nail