Any tips for Corn?

evolving_doors

ok.. 7plants standing healthy (despite the wind ) and just flowered.

last year I got about 3 cobs on each but the corn kernels were either white and almost empty, or just stayed hard and didn't turn yellow.

So im thinking of removing one developing cob from each plant to give energy to the others... Any hints..

As usual I was probably just too late planting stuff in the year so the sun is gone by the time they need it.

looksee

Keep watering them and hope that the weather stays warm. I don't know about removing cobs, logically it seems like a good idea, but my gut says that either they will all fill out and be good, or non of them will.

iainBB

looksee wrote: »

Keep watering them and hope that the weather stays warm. I don't know about removing cobs, logically it seems like a good idea, but my gut says that either they will all fill out and be good, or non of them will.

You need to plant a minimum of 30 plants in a grid shape to get them to pollinate each other using the wind. Any less than that you will get poor pollination and very few cobs will swell.

It is proper pollination that will make the cobs swell, your approach to taking off a few would work with your apple trees etc.

corn is an annual so its entire life cycle is within one year. so taking cobs off will do nothing. Corn is Hungry so plenty of food and make sure they get good pollination, ( which might be hard with 7 plants. )
I have 30 this year and still don't thinks its enough,

you might have to try and hand pollinate them with only 7 plants
are they in a row or a grid box shape?

If row you will need to hand pollinate for sure and only grow open pollinated corn.

Oldtree

Last year I grew corn in pots (6 plants) in the polytunnel, and even with hand pollinating (vigorous shaking directly above flower) and copious amounts of pollen, the cobs were small and thin.

iainBB

You need a large space for corn, only really realising this year. I have a full large back garden solely for food production but still not enough room to grow and harvest corn.
I think next year I will not grow it . It is not a productive item unless on a med to large scale.

Technophobe

Think a lot of it is down to timing and weather..I grew 12 plants in a grid syle last year and got 2 or 3 gorgeous cobs off each...delicious it was, definitely worth persisting with:D

Supercell

Interesting to know, I've about 8 plants growing in the garden for the first time this year and was hopeful, oh well, at least Tesco are flogging them at the moment cheap in the leaves, i can pretend i grew them

iainBB

I am very disappointed with corn, my plan was to buy open pollinated corn seeds, and grow and harvest corn each year from my own plot. But corn suffers terrible from inbreeding depression and requires a min of 200 plants to ensure generic diversity.
That is 200 plants each with a cob on it would be left for seeds. Of course you would get a lot of seeds from these plants. That means if you want to grow it for food and to reseed you need a lot of land solely for corn. No city person would have this ability, shame on the seeds companies for selling open pollinated core with 30 seeds in a pack.

evolving_doors

ya thanks folks twas more of a novelty too than a food...
never know, I might get lucky!

stay tuned

Technophobe

Supercell wrote: »

Interesting to know, I've about 8 plants growing in the garden for the first time this year and was hopeful, oh well, at least Tesco are flogging them at the moment cheap in the leaves, i can pretend i grew them

No comparison imo on taste between shop and one straight from the plant...
If you get one ripe, bring it straight inside, boil it, add butter and pepper/salt it....and let me know what u think

evolving_doors

anyway... in the end got about 8 medium sized cobs... nice and yellow but took about 45 minutes hard boiling. Id grow them again for the novelty. I reckon they turned out ok was due to the extra sun in september ... I sprouted them late enough too (late may!)...
F1 type .

Supercell

Only got a few small ones here in the end , won't be growing them again.

gk5000

Technophobe wrote: »

No comparison imo on taste between shop and one straight from the plant...
If you get one ripe, bring it straight inside, boil it, add butter and pepper/salt it....and let me know what u think

They're also great if you throw them leaves and all into the oven, microwave, or better still into a BBQ. The leaves will be burnt/singed but the cobs itself will be lovely and juciy.

I grow small numbers, 6 - 10 in a grid, but the variety is important, one that needs a smaller number of days to ripen - check out https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/sweetcorn

Lark’ AGM: (Extra tender sweet) Early and high yielding with sweet, tender, top quality cobs ‘Earlibird' AGM: (Supersweet) 2nd early. Vigorous plants with good sized, uniform cobs
‘Golden Giant’ AGM: (Supersweet) A vigorous main crop with large, good quality cobs.
Sweetcorn ‘Swift’ F1: (Extra tender sweet) One of the best varieties to choose for growing your own sweetcorn in the UK. Plenty of cobs.