Packet Content (approx.): 40
Considered as the best sweet corn for early maturing in our indifferent British summers and recommended by the Northern Horticultural Society. The cobs are often 18cm (7") long, packed with sweet creamy-yellow kernels. RHS Award of Garden Merit winner. Recommended by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany.
Culture: Sow under unheated glass in pots in April for planting outdoors mid-May. Can also be sown outdoors in May preferably under cloches. (14-16 weeks maturity.)
Sowing & Growing
Sow Sweetcorn in the greenhouse at a temperature of 20-27oC into peat pots as they do not like to have their roots disturbed. Seed can be sown outdoors but the soil needs to be at least 10oC, this can be achieved by using cloches or a clear plastic film to pre warm the soil before sowing in mid April.
Seed takes 10-12 days to germinate and once seedlings reach 8cm tall they can be planted out. Unlike most vegetable Sweetcorn is better planted in blocks rather than rows, as this promotes successful pollination of the female flowers which produce cobs. Poor pollination can lead to missing kernels in cob rows. An ideal spacing for a block of sweetcorn is 45cm x 45cm.
Once established keep the bed weed free, and feed fortnightly with a feed recommended for tomatoes. Earthing up around the stems will encourage supporting roots essential for crops grown in windy locations. Water in periods of dry weather, this is especially important at the time of flowering.
Sweetcorn takes on average 14-16 weeks from sowing to harvest.
To encourage pollination of the silks, female flowers, tapping the tassels or male flowers, helps pollen to fall and pollinate flowers to produce cobs.
It is advised to grow super sweet varieties separately from standard sweetcorn as cross pollination can cause a reduction in taste of the super sweet varieties.
During the development of the plants side shoots or ?tillers? often appear. These are not harmful to crop production and will not reduce the yield of cobs, removing such tillers may actually damage the plant rather than helpful.
Harvest
A good guide to the ripeness of the cobs is the shriveling browning of the silks at the end of the cob. Squeezing kernels is a good test to how ripe the cobs are, a watery liquid suggest unripe, milky liquid ripe to harvest, thick dough like substance the cobs have gone over and past it. Twisting the cobs off the plant close to eating time will ensure great tasting sweet cobs.
Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5cm (3in) pots. Plant in the greenhouse in individual large pots, or 3 plants per grow bag when 20cm (8in) high. Can be planted outdoors, 45cm (18in) apart once all frost risk has passed
Be prepared to water well and supplement feed with high-potash feed during season. Regular feeding is recommended.
