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Sweet cornCommon name; Indian Corn / Maize
Sweet corn is a hybridised variety of maize, bred to increase the sugar content. The cobs are picked before the fruits mature into hard grains. Sweet corn is generally eaten as a vegetable and grown as shown here.
Week 15; Prepare beds by digging in liberal amounts of well rotted manure or compost.
Week 17; Sow seed in pots/trays of seed compost and germinate at a temperature of 18°C (65°F). Germination should take about four to five days.
Note; To assist germination, soak seed in clean water for twelve to twenty four hours prior to sowing.
Week 18; Pot up seedlings into 75mm (3") pots of potting compost, and gradually harden off in a frost free cold frame until planting out time.
Week 22; Plant out in pre-prepared soil, 400-500mm (16"-18") apart in a sunny sheltered location. Apply a top dressing of a balanced fertiliser at a rate of 100gms (4oz) per sq. m prior to planting.
Week 29; Apply a top dressing of high potash fertiliser.
Week 30; Keep weeds down by hoeing, taking care not to damage the surface roots. Water regularly during the flowering period, and as the cobs begin to swell. Lay mulch such as garden compost or straw, to reduce water loss from the soil. In exposed areas ensure that taller varieties are supported.
Week 33>; Check the plants regularly and harvest the cobs as they ripen. The cobs are ripe when the silks protruding from the end are dark brown. Do not allow the cobs to get over-ripe, as this inclines to make them 'starchy' and less palatable. Another sign of ripeness is the milky juice that exudes from the kernels pierced by a fingernail. Eat or freeze as soon as possible after picking.
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