Xela's Garden

Veg Sweetcorn [V]

Genus: Zea.

Species: Zea mays.

Sown [Incredible F1] in pots 17.04.09
Bought ? Wilkinsons for £1.49 a pack of 40 seeds

Growing sweet corn

If you are new to growing corn, first consider soil preparation. If your soil has never been tested for pH balance it should be done. Corn isn't as fussy about pH as some vegetables, but the closer to 6 to 6.5pH the better. After you have adjusted the pH, prepare and sow as follows: locate in full sun, till soil to a depth of at least 10 inches (240mm), work in some compost if you have it, fertilize, rake smooth. After the average date of last frost passes, sow seeds 1 inch(24 mm) deep in a block pattern (don't plant in a single row; use 3 to 4 short rows side-by-side or sow in blocks), keep soil moist, but not wet or soggy.[8] Using mulch will help maintain even moisture. In a pinch, you can take a large plastic garbage bag, split it down one side and the bottom so it opens flat, and lay it over the area to be planted and hold it down with bricks or rocks. Punch holes through it as you sow the seed (this way the holes and the sprouting plants match up). It is also recommended to feed corn again once it reaches 8-12" in height; either side dress with granular fertilizer high in nitrogen or use a liquid fertilizer.

Choosing varieties

For the beginner who only has space for one variety, Early Sunglow is a good choice. If you have space for two blocks of corn, go with Early Sunglow and Golden Cross Bantam, or just make a second planting of Early Sunglow 15 to 30 days after the first. These varieties are among the hardiest and easiest to grow, and seed racks in local department or hardware stores are likely to have them. Once you have successfully grown corn, in future years try other varieties in the se, sh2 and sy types. These may need to be planted a couple weeks later for sufficient warmth and have somewhat lower germination rates. Don't be afraid to try white and bicolor too. Just be sure to isolate supersweet varieties (sh2 or augmented sh2) from other corn by either more than 100 ft(33 m) or more than 15 days in maturity time.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_corn]

Recommended Sweet Corn Varieties

Aztec
Early Excellent, the best for cooler areas
Lark
Middle / Early A 'tendersweet' F1 variety which gives the ultimate in sweetness and at the same time has a great texture. Good germination for a tendersweet (2006).
Earliglo
Middle Stays sweet for longer than others.
Early Extra Sweet
Early Produces a consistently good crop.
Minipop
Baby corn variety that should be harvested as soon as the tassels start to show. Great taste either raw or stir fried. (2006)
Sundance
By general opinion, one of the best for the UK. Good size and recommended by NIAB and RHS Award of Garden Merit. (2006)
[Source: www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_december_1c_sweet_corn.asp ]

Where to grow

Sweetcorn is wind pollinated and best planted in large blocks, where the male flowers at the top of the plant have more opportunity to shed their pollen on the female tassels (where the cobs will form) below. Each plant will produce one or two cobs, so work out how many cobs you're likely to need (you can freeze them) and provide enough space to achieve this.
Prepare the site

Sweetcorn likes free-draining, moisture retentive soil. If you can, prepare the bed the previous autumn before planting, adding plenty of well-rotted manure to the soil. Don't worry if you never had time, beds can still be made in the spring. First remove weeds and dig over the site with a spade, removing any particularly large stones. Level roughly and then work over the area with a rake to leave a fine finish.
Seeds or plants?

Ready-grown plants will establish quickly and provide cobs earlier than sowing seed directly into the soil. In April, fill a 7.5cm pot with compost, make a 2.5cm deep hole in the top with dibber (a pencil will do if you don't have one) and drop two seeds in. Cover, water and put on a windowsill to germinate. When seedlings are about 2cm tall discard the weakest one and put plants in a shady place outdoors to toughen up before planting out.
Planting out

To ensure your crop gets off to a flying start, spread some general fertiliser granules over the planting area and gently rake in to the surface. If you can, try to do this two or three weeks before planting or sowing.

Ready-grown plants can go into the soil from May. Using a trowel, set sweetcorn plants 35cm apart with 60cm between rows to form a block. There are no rules about how large the block has to be, this will be determined by how many plants you decide to grow.
Sowing into the soil

Alternatively, if you forgot to grow plants earlier, you can still grow corn by planting seeds directly into the soil in late spring and early summer. Use a dibber to make 2.5cm holes and sow two seeds every 35cm with 60cm between rows. Cover and water. Remove the weakest of each pair of seedlings when they're about 2cm tall. In cooler climates it's worth protecting the emerging seedlings with fleece, held down with stones.
Aftercare

Keep plants well watered and the soil weed free. Use a Dutch hoe to slice off annual weeds, taking care not to sever the surface growing roots of the sweetcorn. To protect these and to give plants more stability, pile soil up around the stems with a draw hoe.
Harvesting

Corn is ready when the silky tassels at the end of the cobs turn brown, but check by carefully peeling back the leaves and pinching a kernel. If the juice is milky, cobs are ready to pick. To do this, simply twist the cob away from the plant.
Five to try

* 'Indian Summer' - cobs of mixed kernels - yellow, red, white and purple
* 'Swift ' - super-sweet variety
* 'Sundance' - creamy yellow kernels
* 'Lark' - very soft yellow kernels
* 'Honey Bantam Bicolor' - yellow and creamy white kernels
[Source: www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingsweetcorn2.shtml ]

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