Sweetcorn flattened by wind.....!

[Jungle Jane]

I still gently shake them,each silk needs to be pollinated or you can get gaps in the corn. The wind sometimes carries the pollen one way maybe I don't know? I shake them just in case.

[SusieG]

I've shaken them ......

.......here they are (again!!!) today ........
Can you tell I'm a little bit proud of them..............?!

[w33blegurl]

Looking rather good! Mine have all ended up different heights (very different, not just a little bit) but looks like there area still a few cobs coming!

[SusieG]

Sweetcorn NOT flattened ~ but ..........

I know it's been asked before, but :-

The silks are brownish at the ends, and I've peeled back some of the outer leaves, which are green and didn't feel like they wanted to part company - and the individual corn bits look quite small and pale still.

Should I wait until the silks are thoroughly brown all through ........?

[Martin H]

Susie, different varieties look slightly different when they are ripe, so it's hard to say. But usually it's when the exposed parts of the silks are dry and crispy.

All you can do is keep testing until you've worked out what your variety looks like when it's at its peak of perfection.

Also if the pigeons have eaten them all, that's a sign that they were ripe.

[SusieG]

Ha! Pesky pigeons...!!!! I won't be a happy bunny if they get there before me...!!!!

------------so - worth losing one by trying it then? Next stoopid question ....... how do you pick them off the plant ...? Is it by cutting off at the bottom of the cob with scissors ......?
Thanks ....

[Jungle Jane]

While it's on the plant just peel back the leaves on the egde that hug the corn,there's about 8 layers to get through & pierce the end piece of corn,if it's watery close the leaves back over,no corn needs to be cut off the plant yet until you know it's ready. Mine was ready about a week ago,the silks will be brown & matted together or eaten away like one of my plants,I had a look & there were aphids & an ant inside,there's bugs everywhere this year as long as something comes in the kitchen I'm alright.
Edit to add that when it's ready just carefully bend it downwards & it will snap off.

[SusieG]

Thanks JJ ~ I peeled back the green leaves today, and they felt like they were havin none of it - the cob looked very pale-milky colour .....
Never having grown sweetcorn before, I'm flying by the seat of my pants with ths one- lol
Just seems an awful waste if they're not ready just yet ........!
The silks aren't all completely brown when I get in for a proper look - still some pale green ones in there....

[Jungle Jane]

Have you googled the variety to see what colour it will be,the ends of some of my corn are corn less where it hasn't pollinated properly,I've had to cut about an inch off on one of them & its a milky colour,but then next to that is yellow corn so I've had to peel the leaves back more than an inch to see the corn. You could take a photo when you can,they might not be ready yet,if they take roughly the same time to harvest as my ovation corn,then there was a couple of weeks difference in our silks showing?

[SusieG]

---yes, JJ, if I remember rightly, your silks were showing a good 2 weeks before mine ....! Will goggle my variety ..... Ta!

[SusieG]

Guess who's happy....!!????!!!

Picked two of my sweetcorn cobs today ~~~ delicious .............!

They were a bit 'green at the end' where I'd peeled them back last week .......

[burnie]

I managed to grow Suttons F1 Swift outside in Angus, Scotland, I did build a strong cane frame round it and covered it with fleece to keep some heat in. I think we might have had a better summer than some of you south of the border, but we've not had the heat you've had.