Rubbish sweetcorn!

[chloeg]

I have successfully grown sweetcorn for 7 years at least, but not this year! They did not move when planted out for at least 2 and a half months, some not at all, and the two that did move are a disappointing 2 ft tall. I am in a new garden - to me- that has been a veg patch for at least 3 years, and organic, but could it be a lack in the soil? Or is it that they just didn't get enough warmth? No obvious signs of disease or root problems. Grateful for any thoughts.

[chadspad]

There is another thread on sweetcorn and from what I can gather, most people didnt have that good a crop this year either. I certainly didnt. I started mine too ealry as I was dead keen to get going but I think the amount of rain we had hampered mine. They didnt grow very tall and only half the kernels were actually there. Just been one of those years I feel.

[cir3ngirl]

Corn will be best crop this year for the number of plants. 5 plants and 15 cobs at the moment. Trouble is I don't even like it

[chloeg]

thanks for replies, how jealous i am of the person with 15 cobs! Well done you!

[red]

alot of people have been moaning about their corn - and even the farmers crops look shorter than usual

interestingly - we did two batches - the first lot were pathetic, only about an inch of cob...

but the later batch are normal full size cobs - so perhaps its just that funny weather we had earlier in teh year hampered the growth of most corn, but we missed that with the second planting?

anyway, dont dispair.. if you are normally successful with sweetcorn, then put it down to bad crop year and try again next year.

[Andy Hamilton]

I planted somewhere between 100-150 seeds and only three rather pathetic plants came up. The woman on the plot next to me has a beautiful batch of corn, as far as I could tell she grew hers at home then planted them out. I just put mine straight into the ground.

I am putting my loss down to the influx of wild birds on the rest of the plot as some of their habitat was destroyed nearby, it could also have been heavy rain making the seeds go mouldy before they had a chance.

So you are not alone with a rubbish crop!

cir3ngirl - I am sure any one of us would happily take your corn off your hands

[chloeg]

Thanks Andy, as I walk into work I pass some allotments, and someone there has MAGNIFICENT sweetcorn, a whole big stand of it. And espaliered pear trees dripping with fruit, AND tonnes of brassicas without any holes in them....ah unattainable perfection...

[red]

I always sow my sweetcorn in pots first.

[Millymollymandy]

Me too from bitter experience! My sweetcorn have had not a single edible cob so far. There's one more planting of 6 plants flowering at the moment but I don't expect them to be any better than batch no. 2 which went in the compost bin! Hey ho!