Good Enough to Eat - Sweetcorn (From Worcester News)

Good Enough to Eat - Sweetcorn

9:41am Monday 8th October 2007 in Gardening

IF you are growing sweetcorn for the first time and wonder when the cobs will be ready for harvesting, look at the tassels on the ends. Once they turn brown you should peel back the husk to check the corn. It will be pale yellow when ready to be picked and a milky liquid will appear when a kernel is pricked.

It doesn't keep well, so only pick the cobs you are going to eat that day. Good varieties include Lark, which has large cobs and bright yellow kernels, and Swift, which matures early and grows well in cool climates.

Sweetcorn should be grown in a sheltered, sunny site, in well-drained soil. It needs a warm season for fruit to do well, so if you live in a cold area, sow the seed indoors and plant out when all danger of frost has gone. Pollination is most successful when the plants are grown in blocks, with each plant spaced 35-45cm (15-18in) apart.