Sweetcorn

[Bluemoon]

We've had a fabulous year for sweetcorn and the summer here has been indifferent to say the least. Try sprouting the seed before you sow it (a seedtray lined with damp paper, placed in a plastic bag to keep the moisture in, then the whole lot put into a warm place for a few days) Plant the seeds when the root is about half to three quarters of an inch long and germination should be close to 100%. I sow in mid-May and put each seed into individual pots. That way I can keep them going in the greenhouse until the plants are about a foot tall and the worst of the bad weather has (theoretically) passed. Once hardened off and planted out they take off and I usually have a fine crop. In a year that looks like being good I then sow a second batch - about the end of June, - and these will produce cobs in October. I've even supplied fresh cobs for a bonfire night barbie.....Mind you I do have a constant battle with the squirrels for it.

[Bluemoon]

Sorry. I'd like to apologise for that last post. I sound seriously big-headed. It wasn't intended like that.

[Peggy Sue]

I think it's just something to aspire to Bluemoon

[Millymollymandy]

Not big-headed at all - you should be proud of yourself and it's much better than having to post what a miserable year for sweetcorn you had!

Now please PLEASE tell us what variety you grow!

[Rod in Japan]

Had first cob last night. It was fantastic, shame we wont get many this year.

I will make it my mission to germinate lots of seeds next year a dedicate a large area to grow lots. We will see.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Jinxed the very moment the idea formed in your mind. I had this jinx with peas, runner beans, and even onions - for shame.

[Dave]

Reading this thread made me feel a little smug (sorry)- corn is about the only thing that thrived on my plot in this year of troubled growing - my potatoes, tomatoes, peas all cropped but nothing like the amounts I've had in previous years!!
I agree with bluemoon about propagating them indoors it seems to really help. Planting them out a little later seems to have also helped. I've noticed the ones growing in the area I stored my manure have done really, really well and the ones planted in less muck are all much smaller. I'm still waiting for my first cob but they all seem to be forming nicely - just hope the local mouse population don't get to them first!

[Odsox]

I harvested mine yesterday and was reasonably pleased with the yield, all of them had at least 2 cobs per plant and about a quarter of them had 3 cobs (although the 3rd ones were a tad small)
All have been stripped off the cobs and frozen now ... can't stand eating it off the cob, I always get bits stuck between my front teeth and butter dribbled down my beard.
But I agree too about starting them off indoors, this is another one that I sow in toilet roll tubes and then plant the whole lot.

[Juddy in the Charente]

Down here in the Charente I lost my first sowing to a very late frost (which also did for all the fruit tree blossom!), put a second lot in and away they went, lots of cobs now. Bought a packet of seeds from Seeds of Italy on the recommendation of a friend, absolutely poor results, half the size of the others and very few have cobs! Ironic that the lot that's marching onto glory were bought for very little in Lidl! Shall get some more next year and do the starting off indoors thing too.

[chadspad]

I always start them off indoors due to the mice eating the kernels otherwise! I gave some of the same seeds to 2 different friends and theirs are fab with at least 2 cobs on each plant and theyre enormous! Must be my ground I reckon. Oh well, will try again next year.

[Rod in Japan]

Odsox, how do you go about stripping corn off the cob? My missus was asking about that, and I hadn't a clue. Somehow I picture it as a chaotic and self-defeating procedure.

[Odsox]

Rod, it's surprisingly easy to strip the kernels off the cob.

You blanch the cobs in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then dunk into cold water. If you blanch for too long the kernels get squidgy and impossible to remove in a recognisable form.

Then take a round bladed (blunt) knife and place between the rows and lever the kernels free. You don't cut them ... once you try it will become obvious.
Once you get one row sorted you can lever the next row out with your thumb in whole strips. And so on .....
It takes about a minute per cob once you get the hang of it.

[Millymollymandy]

Brilliant, thank you! The only time I had some spare to freeze I just cut the raw kernels off but as knives are straight and cobs are round, I got a lot of cut in half kernels!

[Mrs Moustoir]

Doesn't it ping all over the place? I assumed the Jolly Green Giant has some whizzy machine to take the kernels off...

[Odsox]

Doesn't it ping all over the place? I assumed the Jolly Green Giant has some whizzy machine to take the kernels off...

No, not at all. It just 'falls over' in the row and drops off.

[Rod in Japan]

Thanks Odsox. I'll have to try that with my enormous crop next year.