Sweetcorn varieties

[daylily]

My corn is looking terribly sad at the momment (Double Standard - Realseed), I'm ashamed, even in a bad year I have always been able impress! What the cat wasn't able to get at (I plant her a bowl of her own as she loves it so much) was planted in good time in a sheltered sunny position, yet I'll be happy with a cob per plant at this rate!

The 'strawberry popcorn' planted at the same time is fairing much better.

My lottie neighbour is growing 'S.African corn' (?) - he hails from Zimbabwe, which looks very impressive - tall, green and glossy, more like a leafy tropical house plant. I complimented him yesterday but he was disappointed - because of the weather it is all showy leaf and no corn!

His problem is the type of corn more likely, as tropical sweetcorn almost never ever sets fruit outside the tropics, because of light level differences.

[quark1]

Tallest growing plant I've come across is Giant Mexican Corn - allegedly up to 16ft tall - take a look on Tropical Seeds; Exotic Seeds, Vegetable seed & Tropical Plants Mail Order for details of this and other standard and 'coloured' corns - very interesting. Currently 25% off until end Aug 2008!

[daylily]

Tallest growing plant I've come across is Giant Mexican Corn - allegedly up to 16ft tall - take a look on Tropical Seeds; Exotic Seeds, Vegetable seed & Tropical Plants Mail Order for details of this and other standard and 'coloured' corns - very interesting. Currently 25% off until end Aug 2008!

Yes, Quark, I believe these original Mexican corns are the tallest corns that there are, the 2 feet cobs is a bit of 'hm?' though, as I think the record holder is some 46 cm or so. Longer than a foot...

[Two_Sheds]

I ate my first Swift sweetcorn today. Five fat cobs, 100% pollination, delicious!

[Alison]

I'm growing "double standard bi-colour" from Real Seeds. They are over 6ft tall. Most seem to have good sized cobs but they are nowhere near ready yet.

I'm growing that type too this year but they're pathetic plants, only about half the height of yours. I started them off in the greenhouse in the greenhouse in April (I think) but they didn't grow well when planted out - I think that they were a bit stunted by some very heavy winds for the first few weeks and they never seemed to recover. They have formed cobs but they are very small. I underplanted with squash which are doing great guns and unfortunately have overtaken the plants somewhat. I think that there has also been a pollination problem too, probably because the cobs were so low that they were hidden by the large squash leaves. Glad to see that you did better so will try them in a more sheltered place next year.

[pjh75]

I'm growing "double standard bi-colour" from Real Seeds. They are over 6ft tall. Most seem to have good sized cobs but they are nowhere near ready yet.

I have grown these from seed and harvested my first ones yesterday... the plants are over 6 ft and have more than 2 cobs on them - they were full and a decent size too.

[Lavenderblue]

I have grown these from seed and harvested my first ones yesterday... the plants are over 6 ft and have more than 2 cobs on them - they were full and a decent size too.

I am growing these too along with some random ones I got from a carboot and some Swift F1 - all the plants are doing reasonably, tall, several ears on each plant etc until we couldn't wait any longer and had to look at the ears. Only a few corns had actually formed and we realised this was down to poor pollination. I think its because the site is so windy. I am not sure we are going to be able to grown sweetcorn with any success really unless a grapeviner can come up with a cunning plan?