i remember when i was 3 or 4 i planted corn in the sandbox that was built under my playhouse. my mom said it wouldnt grow there bc of the sand and it having very little light and told me not to get too excited about it. i watered it every day and it did grow! i dont remember much beyond that, i dont think any corn cobs actually came of it or anything but i made five plants and they got two or three feet high and i was so happy! it probably only took root bc the sand was directly on top of the soil below. ive always loved growing a few small things here and there, flowers and vines and pretty little things. im ready to tackle the big one now, im making my vegetable garden this year!
I plant my corn seeds among black beans and pumpkin, we call it in Mexico Milpa and is an ancient system of farming!! I recommend to use bocashi to feed the soil before start.
I was going to say in Canada (and US, I think) is the 3 sisters. I've never grown corn, but this year I'm not only going to try corn, but also pole beans and summer squash.
The tassels keep producing pollen for days, so rather than clipping them off when they start producing, I go around and collect all the pollen in a large plastic bag, shake it up well and distribute it around to the silks. That also lets many different plants potentially pollinate each ear.
Tip: if you find any one corn plant growing two healthy ears, only save seeds from that one. Eventually you will have more and more plants growing two ears. Twice as much corn.
Your veg beds are wonderful, good info given about sweetcorn. This video seems more professional and you give more information in a less rushed presentation. Much better to enjoy and watch.
I'm planning to grow my first corn this year. Actually, I want to grow the Three Sisters - a native companion planting tradition. Thanks for the tips! 🇨🇦
Your corn plant very green in your garden , i just transplant from pocket to sack now start to grow up with green leaved, thanks for sharing nice tips i learn something new from you
Hi,Ben. I’m from Thailand, I have been growing fruits and vegetables in England for 4 years now,this is my first year growing sweet corn in England and your video has got all the details how to grow them and I love you super cute dog,thank you very much. Happy gardening ❤️
Hey Ben! I have been inspired today to plant my own corn field that is a matrix of 4 x 4 with some holes double planted, so about 20 corn seedlings (or starts). I tilled my soil and put in some decomposed chicken manure about a month ago and have been gradually forking through the field in order to break up some compacted soil. I then covered it with compost, measured out the matrix, dibbed some holes and poured in a pinch of mychoryzal funghi powder into each hole. Planted out pre-moistened seedlings into each hole, backfilled and watered in. This is the first of what will be the three sisters. You mentioned a lot about pests but what do you do about dead baseballers walking through the field, I really don't want to tear the whole thing down just to put in a baseball diamond ;-) Cheers!
I sowed 45 Swift sweetcorn seeds into root trainers and guess what all of them germinated. Planted them all on allotment and had to buy a small freezer to store them in the garage. Learnt my lesson not to plant so many or in future, sow in stages in case they don't germinate😂
Hi Ben great video, I have just sown my corn today, first time growing it for me as is most of the stuff I have, looking at some good weather here on Anglesey stay safe 👍 🏴
Corn's normally started from seed, so I'm guessing you're growing on a corn seedling? Corn loves sunshine and must be kept well watered as it's a relatively shallow rooted plant. Hope the project goes well. :-)
It depends on where you live. Here in the UK I sow indoors in April then grow on to plant into the ground from about mid May. You can sow direct into the soil until late May, but I prefer to make an earlier start to give a longer growing season in our cool climate.
Great video mine are in my greenhouse as I live in Ireland in countryside in one of the windiest counties and I'm on a hill. There looking healthy about a foot tall can I keep them in here and keep topping them up as we have mink and foxes as so close to house along with many cats???? Thank you ❤️
Yes, you could certainly keep them in the greenhouse but be sure to help pollination along. Check out our recent video on pollinating corn for well-filled cobs: th-cam.com/video/DQSwwLvVtCE/w-d-xo.html
Walking around my brother-in-law's allotment we couldn't understand why people growing sweetcorn on their plot had their 'ears' covered with old socks. The following year we discovered why - mice! Seems they climb up the stalks and eat the corn on the allotments there. Fortunately this is one pest I haven't so far encountered on my plot.
I am growing corn. I planted seeds in May. They where doing really well. Then I repotted into bigger pots still okay. Until a couple of days go, the leaves started turning yellow, they look like they are dying😱 This is my first attempt ever. So disheartened! Did I over water or plant to deep, or damaged the root during transplant???. Thank you for your video 🙏🏼
Sometimes they can go a bit like that if the nutrients are running low in the pot. Overwatering can also do that. If it's warm enough I'd get them planted outside, in the ground, if you can.
I've never had squirrels damage my sweetcorn, despite them being around, so you may find they don't show an interest in your corn. Otherwise you'd have to look at something like a fruit cage to protect them.
Do you have any idea why my corn sometimes looks like its blown out / exploding. It's almost like they're trying to be popcorn, except the end result is inedible. It invariably happens to a few cons each year. I have a poor, shallow, chalky soil to which I add spent mushroom compost so I'm not sure if that has something to do with it 🤔
That is bizarre I have to say. I'm not entirely sure why this could be, but one thing could be some sort of corn smut - a type of disease. Here's more on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_smut
If you’re in the country, don’t plant sweet corn anywhere near feed corn. They will cross and nothing good will come of that. My brother-in-law did it. Used his seeder to plant the last two rows of a field with sweet corn rather than field corn. Just disgusting
Is there any need to be so condescending? “This guy” is one of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic gardening content creators out there. Show a little respect. You can make a point without being an arse.
I have a short growing season so I have to start my corn inside. I found that using toilet paper tubes as pots works really well. I don't make them into pots, I just set the whole tube on a tray and pack damp dirt into them. Once it's packed in, the dirt doesn't fall from the bottom, kind of like a soil block. The tubes are nice and tall so I get deeper roots started than in a typical starter tray. And the tubes disintegrate quite quickly once they are planted out, much faster than a peat pot.
I use the tubes too but I do put them in plastic pots together and fill the tubes and the gaps which helps keep in the moistu. Then they go right in the ground, root ball isn't disturbed.
@@anstriagreenwood3365 I did have to water them every other day. I found the ones on the outside edge of the tray dried out the fastest but the ones that were surrounded by the other tubes didn't dry as fast. My tray also has a rim about 1/2 inch deep so I always watered so that there was water in the tray up to the rim.
You could also try a paper pot former using newspapers, corn is quite shallow rooted and would appreciate spreading their roots early. Mine go into a seed tray so when watered keep the water in.
A year later and he's inspired me to. I've got a lot of space with full sun and very fertile soil so I'm hoping for success in my first year! Fingers crossed!!
Hi Ben - I'm a seasoned gardener and each time I watch one of your videos I pick up a tip. The oil drench after polination is a new one for me - thanks!
My tips: I've grown corn in seed cells for transplanting, as you advised in your video. But I plant much closer together: two plants in each square foot. I don't grow a lot of corn and I use 4' square raised beds. To prevent stalks from falling over, I install a horizontal trellis made of wood with 1' square spaces directly over each square foot of corn - the trellis is suspended about 18 inches and supported by wood posts attached to the sides of the bed. To ensure good pollination I simply vigorously shake the stalks when they are producing pollen and tassels. You can actually see the pollen floating down toward the silks. As for feeding, the seedlings are planted in a 3 or 4 inch layer of compost. I add a liquid fish fertilizer about every three weeks when the stalks are well-established.
If you are not aware, the Incas used a layer of burnt wood charcoal on their terraced steps that dramatically helped in the growth of corn. I will be doing the same soon
I've used the "combing" the silks like a doll's hair with the piece of tassel as the "comb," and it works amazingly well for my little plot (6 plants per sowing--otherwise it's more than even I can eat!). I also tuck the tassel piece upright in the silks or nearby leaves, so that any additional pollen that comes loose drops right onto the silks. I've had amazing corn, filled right to the tips! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Plant sweet corn on drip tape - Corn requires a LOT of water. Corn is a heavy feeder - Spoon feed by side-dressing or injecting N when stalks are 8" - 10" high, and again when the stalks are "hiney high", and, unless you have really nutrient-rich soil, alternate fish emulsion and a balanced fertilizer thereafter.
My top tip is about pollination, I never trust the nature to do it, as if like me (in Cornwall) wind comes predominantly from one direction one side will be poorly pollenated. Always choose a calm day first fan the tassels out so you will get maximum coverage and shake, next time flop the fibre fan over the other way, third day fan them out into a circular pattern. Don't do this all on the same day as you will be pollenating your hands not the corn! this will ensure maximum yield, I very rarely have any unpollinated kernels. Lastly before pollenating give the tassels a very sparse water mist to help the pollen to stick.
One way of hand pollinating (I always hand pollinate) is to take a paper bag when the tassels are producing pollen, cover the tassels with the paper bag, and shake the tassel. The pollen then falls into the bag. Then take a soft paintbrush, dip it in the pollen, and brush the silks with the pollen on the brush. It's very tedious and time consuming but does work.
Oh thanks, I'm gonna try this this year. Cutting the tassels is quite messy, if you cut it in the morning when it's open, all the pollen goes to waste, if you cut it later in the day, it's closed and no pollen gets out...
I knew about each silk is a kernel. However I had no clue of the actual anatomy of the corn plant (tassels with pollen). Would have loved to have seen a full picture of the tassels in the plant is association with the silks. You mention on top but I now have to google exactly how these tassels grow out to make myself more aware of the dynamics of the corn plant. Do you recommend covering the corn to reduce chances of moths laying eggs?
Hi Maria. Some recommend adding a few drops of oil at the tip of each ear to stop corn earworms laying their eggs. More on that here: www.growveg.com/pests/us-and-canada/corn-earworm/
Personally, I grow my corn with a wind barrier around it as wind rock when young really holds the plants back, this is generally 2.5/3ft tall and it also makes a slight difference as a microclimate. I also grow only one type of corn outside too to prevent cross pollination which can also be a disaster. This year I am growing F1 "Incredible" outside and "Minipop" under cover in one of my polytunnels, happy growing everyone...Steve...😃
I grew up on Jubilee Sweetcorn. Still the best variety I’ve ever come across. Hard to find on the East Cost, but thanks to the interwebs, it can be ordered.
I lost a good number of ears to cob worms last year. Going to try BT spray this summer. Interesting idea with the oil. Never heard of that. Will give it a shot!
I have been gardening for 40 years, most of them planting a few cosmos flowers in the corn patch. I haven’t had any worms in my corn since applying this plant in the corn.
Great video cheers, my sweetcorn is growing very well indoors and getting ready to plant out, about 4” tall so far so might wait a few days, I’m not sure whether to pot them on and wait a bit or not, it’s nice weather down here in Portsmouth but can get a bit chilly overnight and early mornings, I think I’ll use fleece for a week once sown 🌽
@@GrowVeg thanks, i that’s what I’ll do, when I potted on the corn from small plugs I was amazed how long the tap root of each 4” plant was, they are really long, I’ll definitely plant out this weekend and good advice to use fleece, cheers 😁
I’m really good at growing decorative or dry corn... because I never seem to pick it early enough. This year I’m planting popcorn, so I won’t fail at picking it on time.
Great video, probably the best one i have seen so far about growing sweetcorn. Such a lot of good information delivered so it can be easily understood by beginners like myself. Thanks for the video!
Hi, not sure if you see comments on old videos but wanted to say that you should definitely consider growing baby gem lettuce with your corn! I had some that I had thinned and placed them in a number of areas of my veg garden to see where it liked to grow and where I planted 1 in each square of my corn grid, they have grown to almost twice the size!
This is a great video, could not believe how much there is to learn! For the little story, I had two corn kernels on my kitchen counter, that we dropped while making pop corn. I grabbed them and put them in a small pot where I had previsouly grown some seedling and to my surprise a few days later I had a growing corn plant! Now they are in my square foot gardening planter outside, next to pumpkins and cabbages. Not sure what will happen, but I have enjoyed seeing the plants grow! ;)
I’m trying corn for the first time and starting seeds indoors under grow lights. I’m soaking the seeds for 24 hours as prescribed on the seed packet. I’m planning to use some alphas-ha meql mixed in with my soil mix to add nitrogen. I will plant 25 this year and see what happens. Thanks for the great tips.
I live in Mississippi and grow sweet corn every year. I hill my corn rows and plant in squares , direct sow and sometimes mix in sunflowers or vine peas/beans we have strong west winds sometimes tornadoes here in summer and thunderstorms that will sometimes knock down a few stalks exposing roots, just cover the root with some dirt and the stalks will usually stand back up on its own in a few days provided it isnt snapped or broken . thanks for the info on the pest and pollenating, I learned some things I will try .
I was actually thinking when he mentioned the wind and limiting nitrogen that he really just needs to hill up the rows (or mulch with something heavy, like wood chips) to keep the corn in place. I grow field corn in my garden, but the same rules apply. Give it the nitrogen it wants, then keep the stalks upright by making sure the base of the plant is well supported.
I enjoyed watching this video! I noticed you mentioned to space each stalk 1 foot apart to produce good ears. I have been checking out the square foot method of gardening. That calls for 4 stalks per square foot!! Have you tried this method? Does it produce smaller ears with the stalks being so close together?
I haven't ever grown using the square foot method. I would think four plants per square foot would be way too close, but could be worth trying an area at this spacing for comparison?
I planted potatoes in 15 gallon pots. Is it OK if I till the growing medium in these pots into my corn bed before starting the Fall sweet corn? No bad side effects?
I start mine off in deep pots like the ones you'd typically buy fruit bushes or climbing plants in, putting 2-3 seeds in each pot. It allows those enormous roots to develop really well before planting them out (even so, the first year I grew corn I left it a bit late and most of the plants had anchored themselves to the soil of the greenhouse through the bottom of the pot!). A problem I have encountered a couple of times is corn smut, but it rarely affects the whole batch.
I transplanted both my sweet and popcorn this year...it went so well I'm going to do so every year now. Ben, wonderful tutorial...as always.🙂 I'm a better gardener this year thanks to your channel.🙂
Great video. We found that our corn needed a lot more sun and a longer growing season than we could provide direct sowing so I will be starting them inside (yes I probably should have done this weeks ago)
Hi Libby. I've certainly found I need to push the boundaries a bit and sow as early as possible to give a long enough growing season. But you've still time to start them off if you haven't already - be quick though!
You can do the fingernail test. Simply push a thumbnail into one of the kernels - if it exudes a milky sap it is good to harvest. If the sap is very clear and watery, it needs a bit longer.
So the leaves and stems have enough room - for light to reach all parts of the plant. Also, so there's enough moisture and nutrients for each plant to draw on at the root level.
Is corn a financially attractive crop to grow in a garden, compared to others? From what you said, it seems you get about 10 plants per square meter, and it seems like there are two cobs per plant? That sounds like ideally I can get 200 cobs in 10m². Comparing the Tesco corn-on-the-cob price of £0.64/cob, that would value at £128 minus costs. It doesn't seem very much compared, for example, to growing raspberries. Is it actually a worthwhile crop to dedicate a space in the garden, from the perspective of saving on buying groceries?
I think if you're concentrating on saving money in the supermarket, it may be best to concentrate on other crops like tomatoes, beans, salad leaves, herbs etc.
we have to fight off the earwigs, who will eat the silks down to the top of the ear. Naturally this then makes it really tough to pollinate. I used a lot of diatomaceous earth but don't like to use a lot. I'm not sure what else to do. We have major problems with Argentine ants that like to farm aphids on just everything. It's a constant battle. even so we managed to get a few good ears. I'll get it dialed in this season I hope. This climate isn't good for sweet corn. It's too cool and foggy, and I discovered that black Peruvian corn does great. It has really tight ears and you can boil the cobs for dye. It's a dent corn and makes amazing tortillas.
That Black Peruvian corn sounds very promising - I've a cool and often damp climate so may well investigate. It must be great to make your own tortillas.
@@GrowVeg It's time consuming but the results are worth it in my view. The corn is also called Purple Peruvian, some varieties are Black Kulli Inca, and Morado. It's traditionally used to brew an alcoholic drink, also mixed with to make a healthy drink called chicha morada. Very nutritious corn variety.
I’ve been growing sweet corn for nearly 40 years and can’t believe how much Ive just learnt
i remember when i was 3 or 4 i planted corn in the sandbox that was built under my playhouse. my mom said it wouldnt grow there bc of the sand and it having very little light and told me not to get too excited about it. i watered it every day and it did grow! i dont remember much beyond that, i dont think any corn cobs actually came of it or anything but i made five plants and they got two or three feet high and i was so happy! it probably only took root bc the sand was directly on top of the soil below. ive always loved growing a few small things here and there, flowers and vines and pretty little things. im ready to tackle the big one now, im making my vegetable garden this year!
What a wonderful experience Mikki! Very best of luck with your new vegetable garden. :-)
I plant my corn seeds among black beans and pumpkin, we call it in Mexico Milpa and is an ancient system of farming!! I recommend to use bocashi to feed the soil before start.
Ah yes - like the three sisters method. Very effective I hear.
I was going to say in Canada (and US, I think) is the 3 sisters. I've never grown corn, but this year I'm not only going to try corn, but also pole beans and summer squash.
The tassels keep producing pollen for days, so rather than clipping them off when they start producing, I go around and collect all the pollen in a large plastic bag, shake it up well and distribute it around to the silks. That also lets many different plants potentially pollinate each ear.
That is a really great tip Shannon, thank you.
Tip: if you find any one corn plant growing two healthy ears, only save seeds from that one. Eventually you will have more and more plants growing two ears. Twice as much corn.
Great tip, thanks!
Your veg beds are wonderful, good info given about sweetcorn. This video seems more professional and you give more information in a less rushed presentation. Much better to enjoy and watch.
Thanks Katherine, really appreciate that.
I'm planning to grow my first corn this year. Actually, I want to grow the Three Sisters - a native companion planting tradition. Thanks for the tips! 🇨🇦
Great move Jacqueline.
Please share more info
Your corn plant very green in your garden , i just transplant from pocket to sack now start to grow up with green leaved, thanks for sharing nice tips i learn something new from you
Thanks for watching. :-)
@@GrowVeg thanks so much
Hi,Ben. I’m from Thailand, I have been growing fruits and vegetables in England for 4 years now,this is my first year growing sweet corn in England and your video has got all the details how to grow them and I love you super cute dog,thank you very much. Happy gardening ❤️
That's great to hear Yanee - good luck with your sweet corn and let's hope things warm up a bit so we all get a nice crop! :-)
This is my first year growing corn, and I had no idea about the pollination process. Thanks
Its my first year as well and I was totally clueless about it 🙃 😅.
Hey Ben! I have been inspired today to plant my own corn field that is a matrix of 4 x 4 with some holes double planted, so about 20 corn seedlings (or starts). I tilled my soil and put in some decomposed chicken manure about a month ago and have been gradually forking through the field in order to break up some compacted soil. I then covered it with compost, measured out the matrix, dibbed some holes and poured in a pinch of mychoryzal funghi powder into each hole. Planted out pre-moistened seedlings into each hole, backfilled and watered in. This is the first of what will be the three sisters. You mentioned a lot about pests but what do you do about dead baseballers walking through the field, I really don't want to tear the whole thing down just to put in a baseball diamond ;-) Cheers!
Sounds like your corn will get off to a great start. Not sure about the baseballers - a very specific pest indeed!
Only the more cultured among will get the latter part of your comment. Anyway, back to the field we go - I may even dream of it!
🤣🤣🤣👍
Thank you so much Ben. Your videos are PACKED with information.
Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed the video. :-)
Great video. Thanks for the info. Production quality is great on this one. Keep up the good work
Cheers Steph, really appreciate that, thank you.
I sowed 45 Swift sweetcorn seeds into root trainers and guess what all of them germinated. Planted them all on allotment and had to buy a small freezer to store them in the garage. Learnt my lesson not to plant so many or in future, sow in stages in case they don't germinate😂
That's a very impressive germination rate!
You're luckier than me...that's why I always start corn/veggies in the greenhouse and transplant at optimum time/temp/conditions.
@@tulipsmoran5197 what a lovely name.
Trying corn again this year as last year planted too late. So fingers crossed that it works out this time
Fingers crossed for you - good luck!
Planting my corn today
Awesome - great to be getting them into the ground at last! :-)
Good tips Ben. I "chit" all my larger seeds corn, beans etc before planting into seed compost.
That's a really good idea as they can be a bit slow/tempremental to germinate sometimes.
I am about to sow my seeds so thankyou for this timely video!
Hope you will success corn planting , happy gardening
Hi Ben great video, I have just sown my corn today, first time growing it for me as is most of the stuff I have, looking at some good weather here on Anglesey stay safe 👍 🏴
Love Anglesey, and home to the great Medwyn Williams champion vegetable grower. Good luck with your corn.
@@GrowVeg thanks it really is a lovely place 👍🏴
Very nice video, thanks for sharing, full packed of useful information 👍
Ok. Im going to try corn.. first timer but hey. Never too late to try
Absolutely - give it a try! :-)
Great content ben, pearls of wisdom wish you were my neighbour I would have the best garden in England!
Cheers George! :-)
I'm taking care of my niece's science project, and she planted a beautiful corn stem in a pot. Any specific advice?
Corn's normally started from seed, so I'm guessing you're growing on a corn seedling? Corn loves sunshine and must be kept well watered as it's a relatively shallow rooted plant. Hope the project goes well. :-)
Very cool thanks for the tip
Most people in my family prefer starchy corn and find most corns sold on the market in the U.S. way too sweet. So older > better, waxy > sweet for us!
I agree... I want a heritage corn, not a super sweet hybrid!
Thank you very much!😊👍
Very informative but when can you sow them???? What month? I’ve looked at 2 videos so far and no one is telling what month to sow etc. many thanks xx
It depends on where you live. Here in the UK I sow indoors in April then grow on to plant into the ground from about mid May. You can sow direct into the soil until late May, but I prefer to make an earlier start to give a longer growing season in our cool climate.
Great video mine are in my greenhouse as I live in Ireland in countryside in one of the windiest counties and I'm on a hill. There looking healthy about a foot tall can I keep them in here and keep topping them up as we have mink and foxes as so close to house along with many cats???? Thank you ❤️
Yes, you could certainly keep them in the greenhouse but be sure to help pollination along. Check out our recent video on pollinating corn for well-filled cobs: th-cam.com/video/DQSwwLvVtCE/w-d-xo.html
Very interesting
Awesome job!!
Pollinating... yes... must remember that.
Walking around my brother-in-law's allotment we couldn't understand why people growing sweetcorn on their plot had their 'ears' covered with old socks. The following year we discovered why - mice! Seems they climb up the stalks and eat the corn on the allotments there. Fortunately this is one pest I haven't so far encountered on my plot.
What an intriguing way to keep the mice off!
Llove you channel! What kind of oil do you use on the silks?
Either canola or olive oil.
I am growing corn. I planted seeds in May. They where doing really well. Then I repotted into bigger pots still okay. Until a couple of days go, the leaves started turning yellow, they look like they are dying😱 This is my first attempt ever. So disheartened! Did I over water or plant to deep, or damaged the root during transplant???.
Thank you for your video 🙏🏼
Sometimes they can go a bit like that if the nutrients are running low in the pot. Overwatering can also do that. If it's warm enough I'd get them planted outside, in the ground, if you can.
Great video! But any tips or trick to keep the Trash Panda's (AKA Racoons) from eating them!!! Thats my biggest problem.
Never had to deal with them. I'm guessing some for of net cage or tunnel would be the only solution.
Thank you. Really helpful video.... what kind of oil do you suggest?
Canola/rapeseed oil or olive oil should do the job.
I live in the UK and I see some squirrels in our backyard. What will I do to protect my corn from them?
I've never had squirrels damage my sweetcorn, despite them being around, so you may find they don't show an interest in your corn. Otherwise you'd have to look at something like a fruit cage to protect them.
@@GrowVeg Thanks for your reply. I would like to ask also if you have blueberries in your garden?
Konten bagus
I have lots of problems with earwigs. Do you have any suggestions? I live in southern Oregon USA.
Thanks
Oil pit traps could help: www.bigbughunt.com/bug-guides/us-and-canada/earwig/
Thank you!
i can't planting corn, because dont have large area to plant,, failed when planting in pot
Sorry to hear that Len. Hopefully you've plenty of other delicious things to grow.
i grow my corn in containers, once my corn has grown what do i do with the stalks?
Cut them up into foot/half foot-long lengths then add them to your compost bin.
Do you have any idea why my corn sometimes looks like its blown out / exploding. It's almost like they're trying to be popcorn, except the end result is inedible. It invariably happens to a few cons each year. I have a poor, shallow, chalky soil to which I add spent mushroom compost so I'm not sure if that has something to do with it 🤔
That is bizarre I have to say. I'm not entirely sure why this could be, but one thing could be some sort of corn smut - a type of disease. Here's more on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_smut
@@GrowVeg ha ! Yes, that looks like it. Thanks, I shall see if there's anything I can do to remedy it.
Oh, that is weird! I'm not sure about it being a delicacy, though. 🤔
Ah help, i put my corn coms out. Now the small leaves are dying at the top. Help, please.
Were they properly hardened off? It may be that the wind is whipping around them. Keep the plants well watered and hopefully they'll recover.
If you’re in the country, don’t plant sweet corn anywhere near feed corn. They will cross and nothing good will come of that. My brother-in-law did it. Used his seeder to plant the last two rows of a field with sweet corn rather than field corn. Just disgusting
Wise words, thanks John.
Nice work reusing lots of clips from 5yrs ago 😅
We're getting more footage as time goes on. And well spotted! :-)
Well spotted! :-)
@@GrowVeg in your defence it is hard recording a full growing season of each plant/variety. Only rare odd people like would spot these things 😂
LoL plant in a block to increase pollinating. This guy. Mate, one corn plant can polinate like 10 square meters around it. 1... freaking... plant.
Yes, fair point, but you'll still get the best results planting in a block, which will help too if there isn't much wind.
Is there any need to be so condescending? “This guy” is one of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic gardening content creators out there. Show a little respect. You can make a point without being an arse.
I used to be young and fun. Now I get excited learning about corn. 😂
You may be a little bit older Melanie - but getting excited about corn still makes you most definitely fun!
I have a short growing season so I have to start my corn inside. I found that using toilet paper tubes as pots works really well. I don't make them into pots, I just set the whole tube on a tray and pack damp dirt into them. Once it's packed in, the dirt doesn't fall from the bottom, kind of like a soil block. The tubes are nice and tall so I get deeper roots started than in a typical starter tray. And the tubes disintegrate quite quickly once they are planted out, much faster than a peat pot.
That's a really great idea. And not turning them into pots will give you that little bit of extra height. Nice job!
I use the tubes too but I do put them in plastic pots together and fill the tubes and the gaps which helps keep in the moistu. Then they go right in the ground, root ball isn't disturbed.
@@anstriagreenwood3365 I did have to water them every other day. I found the ones on the outside edge of the tray dried out the fastest but the ones that were surrounded by the other tubes didn't dry as fast. My tray also has a rim about 1/2 inch deep so I always watered so that there was water in the tray up to the rim.
You could also try a paper pot former using newspapers, corn is quite shallow rooted and would appreciate spreading their roots early. Mine go into a seed tray so when watered keep the water in.
This is why I come to TH-cam the ideas that come out of here are Awesome
I suffer from panic attacks and always love watching this guy. Calms me down. I started my own vegetable garden with chilis and chives
Cheers for watching, much appreciated! :-)
I know what you mean! He has a very pleasant, soothing voice, and his gardening tips are invaluable too.
He sure is a relaxing type guy for sure, I really enjoy his videos and learn a lot from him. I guess he calms me down too now that you mention it.
A year later and he's inspired me to. I've got a lot of space with full sun and very fertile soil so I'm hoping for success in my first year! Fingers crossed!!
Hi Ben - I'm a seasoned gardener and each time I watch one of your videos I pick up a tip. The oil drench after polination is a new one for me - thanks!
So pleased - and thank you for watching. We're all of us on a learning journey.
My tips: I've grown corn in seed cells for transplanting, as you advised in your video. But I plant much closer together: two plants in each square foot. I don't grow a lot of corn and I use 4' square raised beds. To prevent stalks from falling over, I install a horizontal trellis made of wood with 1' square spaces directly over each square foot of corn - the trellis is suspended about 18 inches and supported by wood posts attached to the sides of the bed.
To ensure good pollination I simply vigorously shake the stalks when they are producing pollen and tassels. You can actually see the pollen floating down toward the silks.
As for feeding, the seedlings are planted in a 3 or 4 inch layer of compost. I add a liquid fish fertilizer about every three weeks when the stalks are well-established.
I'm LOVING the horizontal trellis idea and am tempted to try this myself.
You are my favorite gardener on youtube. Steraight to the point, packed with useful information, and calming.
I grow field corn. It's supposed to be bland! Or at least it's not expected to be sweet.
If you are not aware, the Incas used a layer of burnt wood charcoal on their terraced steps that dramatically helped in the growth of corn. I will be doing the same soon
What a great idea. I may try this also!
I've used the "combing" the silks like a doll's hair with the piece of tassel as the "comb," and it works amazingly well for my little plot (6 plants per sowing--otherwise it's more than even I can eat!). I also tuck the tassel piece upright in the silks or nearby leaves, so that any additional pollen that comes loose drops right onto the silks. I've had amazing corn, filled right to the tips! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Plant sweet corn on drip tape - Corn requires a LOT of water. Corn is a heavy feeder - Spoon feed by side-dressing or injecting N when stalks are 8" - 10" high, and again when the stalks are "hiney high", and, unless you have really nutrient-rich soil, alternate fish emulsion and a balanced fertilizer thereafter.
Some great tips there, many thanks.
My top tip is about pollination, I never trust the nature to do it, as if like me (in Cornwall) wind comes predominantly from one direction one side will be poorly pollenated. Always choose a calm day first fan the tassels out so you will get maximum coverage and shake, next time flop the fibre fan over the other way, third day fan them out into a circular pattern. Don't do this all on the same day as you will be pollenating your hands not the corn! this will ensure maximum yield, I very rarely have any unpollinated kernels. Lastly before pollenating give the tassels a very sparse water mist to help the pollen to stick.
Ingenious method Richard - genuinely ingenious! Thanks for sharing.
Lovely place, Cornwall. Lucky you!
One way of hand pollinating (I always hand pollinate) is to take a paper bag when the tassels are producing pollen, cover the tassels with the paper bag, and shake the tassel. The pollen then falls into the bag. Then take a soft paintbrush, dip it in the pollen, and brush the silks with the pollen on the brush.
It's very tedious and time consuming but does work.
Yes, I've seen that done too and it does seem a very efficient way of catching and using all the pollen.
Oh thanks, I'm gonna try this this year. Cutting the tassels is quite messy, if you cut it in the morning when it's open, all the pollen goes to waste, if you cut it later in the day, it's closed and no pollen gets out...
Thankyou 🙏🏼 that’s so interesting.
Nope. That is too much work. End of discussion.
Thanks 😊
You're the Alton Brown of the gardening TH-cam game. Great content no bs
That mouse looks soo guilty of seed theft 😂😂😂
Another aMAIZEing video Ben, but enough of these CORNy puns, don't want you getting a COB on or I'll have to BUTTER you up.
I would reply but I've got a sort throat and a bit of a HUSKy voice. Always love a good pun - I'm all EARs.
I knew about each silk is a kernel. However I had no clue of the actual anatomy of the corn plant (tassels with pollen). Would have loved to have seen a full picture of the tassels in the plant is association with the silks. You mention on top but I now have to google exactly how these tassels grow out to make myself more aware of the dynamics of the corn plant. Do you recommend covering the corn to reduce chances of moths laying eggs?
Hi Maria. Some recommend adding a few drops of oil at the tip of each ear to stop corn earworms laying their eggs. More on that here: www.growveg.com/pests/us-and-canada/corn-earworm/
Hi Ben
Love your videos
Is any oil ok for the silk heads? Ie Neem oil(diluted) or sesame oil?
Thank you so much
I've only ever heard of canola/rapeseed oil or olive oil being used. I imagine sesame oil might be okay (undiluted).
Great video & excellent tips. I successfully grew corn last year & very lucky to be still eating it now. Love your channel. Cheers Denise- Australia
Personally, I grow my corn with a wind barrier around it as wind rock when young really holds the plants back, this is generally 2.5/3ft tall and it also makes a slight difference as a microclimate. I also grow only one type of corn outside too to prevent cross pollination which can also be a disaster. This year I am growing F1 "Incredible" outside and "Minipop" under cover in one of my polytunnels, happy growing everyone...Steve...😃
That's a really good idea Steve. I could see how a 3ft tall barrier of row cover would work quite nicely in a windy spot. :-)
Steve - what kind of wind cover? - I was thinking guage polythene.
heavy guage
Please advise commercially few best corn plant varieties
Thank you! This is one of the most in-depth videos on growing corn. Live in Northern California where it gets pretty dry. Can't wait to harvest!
I grew up on Jubilee Sweetcorn. Still the best variety I’ve ever come across. Hard to find on the East Cost, but thanks to the interwebs, it can be ordered.
You are awesome! Thanks for making this video- so helpful!!
Yeah, don't use nitrogen on corn. 🙄
I lost a good number of ears to cob worms last year. Going to try BT spray this summer. Interesting idea with the oil. Never heard of that. Will give it a shot!
I have been gardening for 40 years, most of them planting a few cosmos flowers in the corn patch. I haven’t had any worms in my corn since applying this plant in the corn.
That's a really useful tip - thanks for sharing. :-)
Great video cheers, my sweetcorn is growing very well indoors and getting ready to plant out, about 4” tall so far so might wait a few days, I’m not sure whether to pot them on and wait a bit or not, it’s nice weather down here in Portsmouth but can get a bit chilly overnight and early mornings, I think I’ll use fleece for a week once sown 🌽
Using fleece for a week after planting is a smart move. :-)
@@GrowVeg thanks, i that’s what I’ll do, when I potted on the corn from small plugs I was amazed how long the tap root of each 4” plant was, they are really long, I’ll definitely plant out this weekend and good advice to use fleece, cheers 😁
I’m really good at growing decorative or dry corn... because I never seem to pick it early enough. This year I’m planting popcorn, so I won’t fail at picking it on time.
Better luck this year - and you can't fail with popcorn as you say!
Great video, probably the best one i have seen so far about growing sweetcorn. Such a lot of good information delivered so it can be easily understood by beginners like myself. Thanks for the video!
Cheers for watching Nathan.
No wonder i ve got babycorn cobs that look tooth😅less!
Hope this video has helped for next time!
Hi, not sure if you see comments on old videos but wanted to say that you should definitely consider growing baby gem lettuce with your corn! I had some that I had thinned and placed them in a number of areas of my veg garden to see where it liked to grow and where I planted 1 in each square of my corn grid, they have grown to almost twice the size!
That's a really awesome tip - thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you been it very interest ! I can do it my I have to buy a lot of compost!
This is a great video, could not believe how much there is to learn! For the little story, I had two corn kernels on my kitchen counter, that we dropped while making pop corn. I grabbed them and put them in a small pot where I had previsouly grown some seedling and to my surprise a few days later I had a growing corn plant! Now they are in my square foot gardening planter outside, next to pumpkins and cabbages. Not sure what will happen, but I have enjoyed seeing the plants grow! ;)
What a great result! I did something similar a few years ago. All good fun!
Thanks you , really helpful video
I’m trying corn for the first time and starting seeds indoors under grow lights. I’m soaking the seeds for 24 hours as prescribed on the seed packet. I’m planning to use some alphas-ha meql mixed in with my soil mix to add nitrogen. I will plant 25 this year and see what happens. Thanks for the great tips.
Hope they grow well for you.
I live in Mississippi and grow sweet corn every year. I hill my corn rows and plant in squares , direct sow and sometimes mix in sunflowers or vine peas/beans we have strong west winds sometimes tornadoes here in summer and thunderstorms that will sometimes knock down a few stalks exposing roots, just cover the root with some dirt and the stalks will usually stand back up on its own in a few days provided it isnt snapped or broken . thanks for the info on the pest and pollenating, I learned some things I will try .
I was actually thinking when he mentioned the wind and limiting nitrogen that he really just needs to hill up the rows (or mulch with something heavy, like wood chips) to keep the corn in place. I grow field corn in my garden, but the same rules apply. Give it the nitrogen it wants, then keep the stalks upright by making sure the base of the plant is well supported.
Thanks for the tips both. :-)
Hi, how much and what type of oil we can use please ?
About a quarter teaspoon of canola or olive oil at the tips of the silks. More details here: www.growveg.com/pests/us-and-canada/corn-earworm/
I enjoyed watching this video! I noticed you mentioned to space each stalk 1 foot apart to produce good ears. I have been checking out the square foot method of gardening. That calls for 4 stalks per square foot!! Have you tried this method? Does it produce smaller ears with the stalks being so close together?
I haven't ever grown using the square foot method. I would think four plants per square foot would be way too close, but could be worth trying an area at this spacing for comparison?
knowing Jim Norton, he probably got off on that 😂
I planted potatoes in 15 gallon pots. Is it OK if I till the growing medium in these pots into my corn bed before starting the Fall sweet corn? No bad side effects?
That should be absolutely fine, so long as there weren't any obvious soil-borne pests in the growing medium that could affect your sweet corn.
I start mine off in deep pots like the ones you'd typically buy fruit bushes or climbing plants in, putting 2-3 seeds in each pot. It allows those enormous roots to develop really well before planting them out (even so, the first year I grew corn I left it a bit late and most of the plants had anchored themselves to the soil of the greenhouse through the bottom of the pot!). A problem I have encountered a couple of times is corn smut, but it rarely affects the whole batch.
I grow my corn in foot-wide containers and bunch them together -- about 8-11. Got the best results last year. Very juicy corn.
Nice move!
I transplanted both my sweet and popcorn this year...it went so well I'm going to do so every year now. Ben, wonderful tutorial...as always.🙂 I'm a better gardener this year thanks to your channel.🙂
Thanks for watching Valorie, it's really appreciated. :-)
What were the blue flowers in the foreground at the beginning? I love blue flowers!
Those are self-sown alkanet. :-)
Great video. We found that our corn needed a lot more sun and a longer growing season than we could provide direct sowing so I will be starting them inside (yes I probably should have done this weeks ago)
Hi Libby. I've certainly found I need to push the boundaries a bit and sow as early as possible to give a long enough growing season. But you've still time to start them off if you haven't already - be quick though!
How do you know when To is take off them off
You can do the fingernail test. Simply push a thumbnail into one of the kernels - if it exudes a milky sap it is good to harvest. If the sap is very clear and watery, it needs a bit longer.
Why shouldn't I plant them too close together if the soil space below is sufficient?
So the leaves and stems have enough room - for light to reach all parts of the plant. Also, so there's enough moisture and nutrients for each plant to draw on at the root level.
Is corn a financially attractive crop to grow in a garden, compared to others? From what you said, it seems you get about 10 plants per square meter, and it seems like there are two cobs per plant? That sounds like ideally I can get 200 cobs in 10m². Comparing the Tesco corn-on-the-cob price of £0.64/cob, that would value at £128 minus costs. It doesn't seem very much compared, for example, to growing raspberries. Is it actually a worthwhile crop to dedicate a space in the garden, from the perspective of saving on buying groceries?
I think if you're concentrating on saving money in the supermarket, it may be best to concentrate on other crops like tomatoes, beans, salad leaves, herbs etc.
@@GrowVeg Thanks very much for your advice. Much appreciated.
3 sisters
Thanks for video Ben hopefully my sweet corn will be an improvement on last year following some of your guidelines 👍
Last night should have been the last frost up here in hartlepool its a cloudy wet day today and im gettin in the dirt
Good on you! I suspect it is the last frost date for most of England, but let's see... fingers crossed for all of us!
Awesome video thanks
Snap off side shoots at the bottom. 👍
we have to fight off the earwigs, who will eat the silks down to the top of the ear. Naturally this then makes it really tough to pollinate. I used a lot of diatomaceous earth but don't like to use a lot. I'm not sure what else to do. We have major problems with Argentine ants that like to farm aphids on just everything. It's a constant battle. even so we managed to get a few good ears. I'll get it dialed in this season I hope. This climate isn't good for sweet corn. It's too cool and foggy, and I discovered that black Peruvian corn does great. It has really tight ears and you can boil the cobs for dye. It's a dent corn and makes amazing tortillas.
That Black Peruvian corn sounds very promising - I've a cool and often damp climate so may well investigate. It must be great to make your own tortillas.
@@GrowVeg It's time consuming but the results are worth it in my view. The corn is also called Purple Peruvian, some varieties are Black Kulli Inca, and Morado. It's traditionally used to brew an alcoholic drink, also mixed with to make a healthy drink called chicha morada. Very nutritious corn variety.
Thank for such Great advice for planting corn🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽💖💖💖