sweetcorn

i have had my allotment for 3 years now and i have always looked forward to my sweetcorn coming up,
there is nothing like eating it straight from the plant, you then know why it is called SWEETcorn,
but for some reason this year it seems to be failing, it looks sickly, yellowing in colour and not as tall as usual, is anyone else having this problem
they are in LOADS of well rotted horsemuck as usual,
they get well watered,
i have never had to feed them in the past, i do not think any feed would get through the horsemuck

any ideas
cheers
dawn

 

I picked the largest of the cobs on mine yesterday and sadly the bottom half was ok but the top half wasn't developed. So I haven't much hope for the rest of the crop:-(

 

Hi Dawn,
I could have posted exactly what you have just said... But I felt a degree of consolation when I went to an NT estate called "Calke Abbey" yesterday.

Beautiful garden, flowers, fruit and veg, and a team of about 6 gardeners. And the consolation was that their sweetcorn crop was as poor as ours.

Interesting thing was that both they and I have had an abundance of courgettes in the same plot!

Strange, but no ideas why.

 

It's taken me four attempts this year to even get the plants to grow, This has left me with sweetcorn that is currently approx 18" tall, so no hope of me getting any at all this year. :(

 

it is soooo disheartening, i love my fresh sweetcorn, i think all we can hope for is a better year next year, i am blaming the naff weather we have had,
i dont mean it in a nasty way, but i am pleased it is not just me that has failed this year, coz i could not think of anything else i could do to help improve the situation

thumbs up for next year
cheers

 

My sweetcorn has all failed this year. The hens are going to be upset.

 

Some of my plants have tassels but no silks. Others seem to be ok, though not many. Will it just take a bit longer for the silks to form or are the plants duds, do you think?

Liz

 

i think they will form as mine are just starting to get the silks now, but i do not think they will be as impressive as previous years, i think you might find as in a previous post they are not fully formed

dawn

 

I've not grown sweetcorn for years, but as I remember, back in the early 80s it was always touch and go about getting a decent crop.
Since then I think the breeders have had a go and come up with some strains better suited to out poor climate, poor, for sweetcorn anyway.

As I remember you need good dry sunny weather when the male flowers are shedding pollen, to fertilize the female flowers on the cobs.
If that dont happen you get misses in the cobs.

Not much help Dawn, but just wondering if the horse muck is OK?

Is it rotted straw or the more usual, these days. wood chips?

 

Just picked the first few cobs, they've formed ok. I'm sure the lack of sun hasn't helped in a lot of places.

 

hello pete
it is well rotted straw, it is the same supplier that i have always used, i was told a long time ago not to use the wood chippings (cant remember why now)
cheers
dawn

 

looks like i aint the only one with struggling corn. typical. was looking forward to some juicy corn. but dont seem to be doing anything. even my broccoli didnt do well either

 

How late can corn can be harvested? I have pretty healthy looking plants but no obvious cobs, if we had a warm September have I any chance of some slim pickings?

 

a couple of years ago i was still picking corn in november, and october last year

you might have a chance, keep your fingers crossed