Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
How tall will it grow (can I control the height)? When? I'm in the south of
Scotland so there is a possability of frost for another 6 weeks say.
Any advice welcomed.
Thanks
Jonny

In article ,
Jon wrote:
Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
How tall will it grow (can I control the height)? When? I'm in the south of
Scotland so there is a possability of frost for another 6 weeks say.

It doesn't need a greenhouse, but is a bit iffy in the UK. You can
grow it in pots now, but don't plant it out until the weather warms
up. The height depends on the variety - 4-6' in the UK, 6-10' in
the tropics. Plant it in blocks, not rows, as it is wind pollinated.

It is not very frost sensitive, but likes hot weather. Actually, you
have a possibility of frost at any time, but your expected date of
last frost should be in about 6 weeks! This affects things that are
seriously frost sensitive.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

"Jon" wrote in message
...
Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of
trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
It's wind pollinated so needs to be outdoors. Plant as much as you can in a
block, not a row to maximise pollination. Not sure about varieties but you
can pick most as 'baby' cobs if they don't get time to ripen where you are.

Martin

In article , Jon
writes
Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience.

I can think of an immediate problem with pollination. Sweet corn is wind
pollinated - it relies on the wind to transfer pollen from the male
tassel like flowers at the top of the plant to the female flowers (which
will become the cobs) lower down, and is usually planted in square
blocks rather than straight lines to help this process.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/

Thanks for the reply Martin, also Kay and Nick.
Jonny
Martin Sykes wrote in message ...
"Jon" wrote in message
...
It's wind pollinated so needs to be outdoors. Plant as much as you can in a
block, not a row to maximise pollination. Not sure about varieties but you
can pick most as 'baby' cobs if they don't get time to ripen where you are.

Martin

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
I can think of an immediate problem with pollination. Sweet corn is wind
pollinated - it relies on the wind to transfer pollen from the male

I've never even thought of growing it in a greenhouse but I don't see why
not apart from space (height). I doubt if pollination would be a problem,
you'd just need to go round tapping the stems - probably daily for a few
days when the male flowers were ready to release pollen.
For outdoor planting on N Wales coast I will sow in the greenhouse about 2-3
weeks from now. For S Scotland choose early maturing varieties.

Rod

I've never even thought of growing it in a greenhouse but I don't see why
not apart from space (height). I doubt if pollination would be a problem,
you'd just need to go round tapping the stems - probably daily for a few
days when the male flowers were ready to release pollen.
Rod

You are probably right. I remember brushing against mine last year and getting
showered in clouds of pollen. It seems to part with plenty of it fairly easily!
--
Drakanthus.


(Spam filter: Include the word VB anywhere in the subject line or emails
will never reach me.)

In article , Jon
writes
Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
How tall will it grow (can I control the height)? When? I'm in the south of
Scotland so there is a possability of frost for another 6 weeks say.
Any advice welcomed.

We sow the seed singly in 3.5" or 5" polypots in mid-April and grow the
plants on until after the last frost has (hopefully) passed - first week
in June here. Then they are planted outside in a block to aid
germination at about 60cm/2ft. spaces each way. They will grow to about
4-5ft./120-150cm. high depending on soil and weather. We restrict each
plant to 2 good cobs rather than letting several grow.

The cobs should be picked as soon as they are ripe - i.e. when the
sheath becomes papery and translucent, then either eaten immediately
after picking or put into the freezer for storage.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

In article , Jon
writes
Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
How tall will it grow (can I control the height)? When? I'm in the south of
Scotland so there is a possability of frost for another 6 weeks say.
Any advice welcomed.
Thanks
Jonny


Sweetcorn is wind pollinated so is normally planted outdoors in a block
- not a row.
--
cbw

The message
from "Jon" contains these words:

Hello all, new to this group. Apologies for rubbish message a few minutes
ago.....blaim 4 y.o. son.
Does anyone have any advice about growing sweetcorn? I'm thinking of trying
it in my greenhouse, but have no experience. How much space does it need?
How tall will it grow (can I control the height)? When? I'm in the south of
Scotland so there is a possability of frost for another 6 weeks say.
Any advice welcomed.

I've grown it near Loch Lomond, out of doors; some years we got a crop
and some years we had an early frost in September and got nothing.
Choose a short-season variety (it will tell you on the packet); start
the seeds in individual pots in the greenhouse about 4 or 5 weeks before
your last frost date (mine was June 6) and if they start to get potbound
before they can go outside, pot them up a size. Plant out in a block in
rich soil and water well. They like liquid nettle or comfrey feed, a
mulch around their roots, and plenty of water. You won't ripen more than
2 heads per plant so snap off any others that form.

When the cobs look well-filled, peel back a bit of the husk to see if
juicy seeds are filled up almost to the tip; if not, close it again. For
maximum taste/tenderness, don't pick them until a couple of minutes
before you cook them; which takes less time than shop-bought cobs.

Janet.

In article ,
Janet Baraclough wrote:

... You won't ripen more than
2 heads per plant so snap off any others that form.

Perhaps 3 in Cambridge, in a good year. In a bad year, you may as
well compost the whole plant.

When the cobs look well-filled, peel back a bit of the husk to see if
juicy seeds are filled up almost to the tip; if not, close it again. For
maximum taste/tenderness, don't pick them until a couple of minutes
before you cook them; which takes less time than shop-bought cobs.

Yes, if you like the cobs when sweet and tender. If you prefer them
riper, nuttier and starchier, they take longer to cook. But it is
hard to ripen them enough for that in the UK :-(

I was brought up on maize, and so have a different viewpoint to most
people from the UK. Dammit, I even like mealie meal porridge, and
that makes most people from these islands gag :-)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article ,
Gorgeous George wrote:

As do your conversation skills.

Come on, George, even a troll should be able to do better than THAT!
If you slip much further, you will fail the Turing test.

Let's have some REAL abuse - you know you can do it, if you try.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
I was brought up on maize, and so have a different viewpoint to most
people from the UK. Dammit, I even like mealie meal porridge, and
that makes most people from these islands gag :-)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

Would that be the same as the 'grits' you get for brekky in America?
Tastes like cement ;-)
But, as you say, depends what you were brought up on

Best Wishes,
--
Jeff Taylor

On Fri, 21 Mar 2003 05:55:57 +0000, Alan Gould wrote:

The cobs should be picked as soon as they are ripe - i.e. when the
sheath becomes papery and translucent, then either eaten immediately
after picking or put into the freezer for storage.

"Immediately" is actually a matter of minutes. The sugars in corn
start to turn to starch as soon as it is picked.

In corn-growing country, it's generally agreed that the best
corn-on-the- cob is obtained by bringing the (salted) water to a
boil *before* you pick the cobs. Pick, shuck as you run from
field to cauldron, and into the water. Serve with butter and
pepper. Divine!

If you want to freeze it, it might be a good idea to blanch it in
boiling water first.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

In article ,
Jeff Taylor wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes
I was brought up on maize, and so have a different viewpoint to most
people from the UK. Dammit, I even like mealie meal porridge, and
that makes most people from these islands gag :-)

Would that be the same as the 'grits' you get for brekky in America?
Tastes like cement ;-)
But, as you say, depends what you were brought up on

Similar, but not cooked the same way. I failed to find somewhere
that served grits when I was in Texas, unfortunately.

Mealie meal porridge has a glutinous consistency and a bland taste,
but with a slight aftertaste that many people dislike.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679