Grow Your Own Magazine

I was most upset a couple of days a go when I realised that my sweetcorn plants that are only 2ft high have flowered. Each stalk has at most 1 mini cob on it and I'm guessing that the stems won't get any bigger and there will be a sad lack of sweetcorn in the pye household this year .
I've grown the varity before (Super sweet) and we had at least 5 cobs of each plant last year, does anyone have any idea why this is happening I didn't realise sweetcorn could bolt!!!

We have quite a lot of different corns on our allotment and they vary from about 2ft to 5ft.
Some of them have produced their male flowers and are starting to produce cobs, others haven't even got as far as the male flower stage yet.

Cos they're so small does that mean we too won't get many cobs?

Hi there,

I too am growing supersweet this year and have two batches coming on.
The first have about four cobs on each plant but the plants are only about three foot high and the second batch are only about two feet tall with their first cob just showing.

I would not worry too much as the first bit of sun we get will bring'em on well, and my wife always says that size is not that important anyway

Darren

Wow! I never imagined you could get that number - I once had two on one plant, but that's amazing!

If I see a flower, or one cob from the whole lot, I'll be delighted. It's part of the experiment to see how far north corn can be grown. I'm beginning to think I'm just too far north.
Anybody any further north having any success ?

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I've grown the stuff for years and have once or twice managed 3 a plant (one small) So obviously not qualified to give you advice! but for what its worth...your sweetcorn would have much preferred a warmer summer, not so much bolting as sulking! they just don't grow in the cold winds, What a nuicance for you. I have some in a sheltered garden at home that is looking 30% bigger bigger than it contemporaries on the allotment. I just don't think its going to be a good year for it tho.

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

Thanks for all the advice. I had wondered if it was something to do with the weather I may look at putting lemonade bottle closhes over the one that are small enough to see if that helps.
Other than that I guess I'll just have to put up with sulky sweetcorn!!

I'm about the same degree of northness as you and I'm trying them outside for the first time this year. The plants look good, if a little stunted, and there's even male flowers appearing in the growing tip. Whether I get anything from them or not is debatable as this summer has not been good for the sun lovers. If the sun starts to beat down for the rest of July, August and maybe September then anything is possible.

Thanks Smuff. I think we are both in the same boat. I think you're right about the weather and it was this time last year before it turned into a long, hot summer - so here's hoping. I hope we both see something from our corn.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I usually get one or two per plant. When I first started veg growing (yonks ago!) it was the received wisdom that you only got cobs one year in three in Lancs/Yorks so the varieties and the weather have improved (except this year!)

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

I suppose I'm cheating a bit smuff as I am growing them in a tunnel, anything other than tatties, or brassicas just doesn't do anything outside. A little bit of warmth and shelter seems to be helping them along.

That's not cheating, Jennie, it's practical!

My sweetcorn sown mid April and planted out nearly 6 weeks ago is about 2' tall too - I'd never thought of them getting flowers/cobs until they were much taller, but I shall have an inspect when I go to the Hill later...

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

Another thought...Supersweet varieties are not nearly as hardy as traditionals such as Earliking, Earllibelle or First of All

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

My blue sweetcorn is about 3 foot high. Had a good look today and no sign of flowers yet.

Swift is yet to be planted out into buckets - it is a good foot high in root-trainers so I hope it will be okay - I just haven't had the energy (or the weather) lately but the sun is shining so I might just go plant some up.

Minipop is only 8 inches or so high so not sure what to do with it.

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

We noticed yesterday that the most sheltered of our sweetcorn (about 10 plants that were excess from the main beds and planted next to the fartichokes at the back of plot 1) now have both male and female flowers, and seem to be producing their first cobs, but those planted at the same time in beds on plot 2 are not only shorter (about 2' to 3' on plot 2 compared to 3' to 5' on plot 1), but dont appear to yet have produced even any male flowers! Ah well, at least we've learnt to plant them somewhere more sheltered next year, but still hoping for some crops from the main beds on plot 2 this year!

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Blessings
Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - a blogspot work in progress!
Last updated 5th November2008 - new piccies!

I'd hardly call it cheating considering your location and environmental constraints. TBH my outdoor corn is growing in a pen constructed from windbreak material which is sheltering behind a hedge and the rasps.
Just in case anything goes wrong I've got more corn in the greenhouse.....belt, braces, velcro and safety net spring to mind

It's Swift I'm growing outside.
I planted mine at the start of June; without being nosy I'm intrigued as to why you haven't planted yours.
Do you know something we don't?

My Swift and Minipop are all about 2' - though no sign of flowers - so maybe I'm not too far behind. Oh for a bit of sunshine.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Yup, I know I have chronic fatigue syndrome and haven't found the energy to get the poor things planted That's about it. They are outdoors and I feel guilty every time I pass them!

Actually, I was hoping to have another bed dug to put them into but I think it will be buckets as the digging has been so delayed with energy levels and weather!

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

I'm sorry to hear about your cfs; I have a friend who suffers so have an inkling of what you must go through.
Confession time My post was ment to be slightly tongue in cheek as every time I go into the garden I'm pretending not to see second sowings of peas in guttering, beetroot and kale in modules, leeks in tubs needing transplanted and the last of the bedding plants dying in their seed trays. Some of them are starting to disappear in the grass; which needs cut again.

i've got 11 sweetcorn in the ground - ranging from 2ft to 4ft high - i don't see any flowers yet, but the bigger ones are now growing what looks like wheat bits from the top inside the leaves
are they running to seed? where are the flowers supposed to be?

The wheat bits are the male flowers and the females appear as shoots from the main stem.

cheers smuff - i'm all happy now!