Growing corn novice in Scotland

[mrpaulbradley]

I might be being a bit adventurous here trying to grow corn in the west of Scotland.... But I'll try most things once!
Going to start of in pots to get them going in anticipation for a nice summer. (it could happen)
Any useful tips for ground preparation, location?
I'd like to use up some ground in front of a tall hedge. It gets fair amount if sun and I hear corn has shallow roots so might not be too troubled?

[Newton]

Can't wait to hear some replies too! I'm a newby too and corn is my favourite veg to try to grow. I think it's a few weeks early to plant yet because it grows very quickly once started off.

I did some in pots last year in anticipation of getting my allotment imminently. I got my allotment in November!,!

My corn was given to the other allotmen holders who grew it on successfully.

Try peaches and cream if you can get some seeds!

[VirginVegGrower]

I sow indoors but not until April. Aside from growing in rectangular blocks, not lines of 1 or 2 I don't know much else. I grew mine in manured land and had 2-3 cobs each plant. I kept tapping the tassels which aids pollenation. It all worked fine but if you asked me if I knew what I was doing the answer would be not really.

[SarahStrawberry]

I grow it every year but in our polytunnel, i love it I don't do a great lot more than others have said. I start it off in individual pots, then plant them out in a block once their big enough, about 3-4 inches tall. When they start getting a few feet tall you can sometimes see their roots showing at the bottom. I read that they like their roots kept cool by covering them with earth. After that I just wait on the cobs to develop and then pick when ripe. Test by gently opening a cob a little bit and piercing one of the corns, if the liquid is watery they aren't quite ready, if its solid or really thick they're overripe. I check every day nearly when I think they are close because I don't want to lose any

[Claire72]

The advice I was given was to choose some with a short ripening time, as we Scots only have short summers!!!
I cant remember which ones I planted last year, but they seemed to be doing ok, then we got all that rain and my garden overgrew and the corn just disappeared! This year will be different!
If you get the right type it must grow quite well here, as there are Maize mazes just up the road from here, (Dumfries) and lots of farms seem to grow it

[realfood]

For advice on growing sweetcorn and on varieties see this page :- sweet_corn

[Kristen]

I grow in newspaper pots as supposedly they don't like being transplanted very much (although I've not noticed it being a problem when I have used pots). It takes just 3 weeks from sowing to being ready to plant out, so start hardening off after 10 days, and don't sow until 3 weeks before you can plant out! (last frost date, or similar).

The variety I grow is called Swift - its quick , and not very tall, but dunno if it is fast enough for Up North?

If people around you are growing Sweetcorn try to club together to grow the same variety, as cross pollination can affect the quality & flavour of the cobs.

[mrpaulbradley]

Thanks all, I'll give the swift variety a go and hold off for a few weeks yet before sowing to pot. I'm going to give them a go in front of the hedge and see how they fare.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
I'll (maybe) post how I get on depending on success!
Here's to a nice warm summer and a great growing season.
We can but hope.

[Two_Sheds]

I'd like to use up some ground in front of a tall hedge.

Plant them as far from the hedge as you can, because the hedge will rob most of the water & nutrients

Dig in some well rotted compost if you can, to help the corn along

[Davyburns]

For advice on growing sweetcorn and on varieties see this page :- sweet_corn

excellent page with a lot of info on other plants/fruits.
Thanks for that

[CaroltheCarrot]

I grew Swift last year,outside, and it was great. So much so that it is getting three times the space this year.
I didnt sow until at least April and planted out in June, it needed staked with the high winds but that was the only problem I had with it.
O and I used Wombles advice and germinated it in the airing cupboard

Tip I heard about was to plant 10% sunflowers with your crop as it aids pollination.

[BUFFS]

i grew sweetcorn last year and im not far from you,sowed mine in toilet roll/kitchen rolls and planted the lot,dig the hedge side over a bit and feed the top of it,dont expect any more than 2 decent cobs from each plant and with our weather i staked each one with a bamboo cane or they would have been horizontal,start them off at start of april and weather permitting ,you should get a good crop..they all tasted a lot better than shop/freezer ones...so good luck

[mrpaulbradley]

[/QUOTE]
Tip I heard about was to plant 10% sunflowers with your crop as it aids pollination.[/QUOTE]

funny enough I was going to do that purely for decor in any case! Bonus info re pollination :-D

[mrpaulbradley]

i grew sweetcorn last year and im not far from you,sowed mine in toilet roll/kitchen rolls and planted the lot,dig the hedge side over a bit and feed the top of it,dont expect any more than 2 decent cobs from each plant and with our weather i staked each one with a bamboo cane or they would have been horizontal,start them off at start of april and weather permitting ,you should get a good crop..they all tasted a lot better than shop/freezer ones...so good luck

thanks you've given me some hope.
Indeed thanks to all for great advice.
I think I'm going to like this forum very much indeed.

[realfood]

Sunflowers will have no effect on the pollination of sweetcorn as it is wind pollinated rather than by insects.