Growing sweetcorn

[ameliagrey]

Want to grow in a raised bed against a south facing wall. How many cobs do you get from one plant- and is it better to buy small plants or easy from seed?

I'm not sure but I think you would be lucky to get anything edible unless you are starting off early under glass and / or growing under glass the whole time.

We tried it once and it's one of those things like toms that if you start outside from seed in UK there isn't enough sun for them to ripen before it gets too late IYSWIM.

However I'm not an expert gardener so am sure that some people will come and give you better answers soon

We did it one year from seed and got some very impressive looking cobs, but with not much in them!

They are easy to grow from seed, but timing is important (check the instructions) so if you miss the window then get small plants. I usually get 2-3 cobs per plant. You don't need to start them off indoors, I've always just planted the seed straight into the ground.

here is some advice about it.

ps listen to ariadne

We always manage a harvest, though last years wasnt great.
It is very easy to start from seed indoors - dont put too many in a pot cos they are quite delicate when you separate them.
Our biggest issue is that one of our cats likes to eat the shoots and then when they are bigger she likes to run between them snapping them. So now we cage them until they are quite tall and sturdy.

I tried them for the first time last year, from plugs (small plants).
There were one or two cobs per plant. I planted them early enough but only watered them twice a week (on the allotment which I normally visit once a week) which probably wasn't enough in the strong sun we had.
I won't be trying them this year...
The plot next to me had much more success, grew them from seed at home, then in raised beds of compost (not clay mud with some compost like my ground!) and were down more frequently than me.

Sorry, meant to say there were one or two cobs per plant, only a handful of which were edible.

I was sent a seed catalogue today and the offer was 10 plug plants for £7.99- I thought that sounded a lot if you only got one cob off each plant! They said they would be sent beginning of June.

Check some other offers on the net?

Growing your own works out more expensive than buying from supermarket usually, but that's not the point of doing it

i do like to get something edible at the end though, otherwise I feel a little miffed

I always grow mine from seed started off in the greenhouse. Usually get two or three cobs per plant. The thing I love about sweetcorn is that you can grow courgettes (or cucumbers) in the same plot - wait till the corn is growing up well, then put in some courgette seeds in between. The courgettes ramble around at the bottom while the corn pokes out at the top. Two crops for the price space of one.

Rhubarb your post reminded me of the 3 sisters method - that would be exciting to try amelia!

I grow mine from seed that I start off in the conservatory but otherwise very easy from seed so wouldn't buy as plants. Usually get two cobs off each. They're quite hungry plants so need a rich soil, especially if you under plant with courgettes & squashes as Rhubarb says (which I do too), and you need to grow them in blocks so they can wind pollinate. I grow them every year as nothing beats the flavour of home-grown sweetcorn.

Grow them in discarded toilet roll tubes as these can be planted entirely in the soil without disturbing the delicate roots. The added height allows a long root run for the seedlings. I find chitting them sucessful.

You don't want to be sowing yet anyway.