Sweetcorn Seeds

Sweetcorn is simply delicious, and with so many advances in breeding in recent years, the results have produced even sweeter and juicer crops. Also known as ‘corn on the cob’, sweetcorn is composed of rows of tightly packed golden, yellow kernels and interestingly it’s actually a grain rather than a vegetable. The plant made its way to Europe in the early 16th century and there is archaeological evidence that it was grown 5,000 years ago, however it’s believed it could even be up to 10,000 years.

How to Sow and Grow Sweetcorn

Sow indoors: A warm kitchen windowsill is all you need for starting these seeds. Sow 1.5cm(½in) deep individually in small pots of compost. Keep warm and moist. A temperature of 15-20°C(60-68°F) is ideal. Seedlings appear in 7-21 days. Gradually accustom plants to outside conditions for 2-3 weeks before planting out to their cropping position when danger of frost has passed. Plant in blocks to promote wind pollination, allowing 40cm(16in) both ways between plants, disturbing roots as little as possible.

Sow outdoors: Direct to cropping position. Sow two seeds together 1.5cm(½in) deep at 40cm(16in) intervals in block formation, watering the soil well beforehand. Keep moist until seedlings are well established. When they around 8cm(3in) high, discard the weaker plant of the pair. Harvest when the ‘silks’ on the cob turn brown and a kernel exudes milky juice when pressed with a thumbnail. Sowings may benefit from cloche protection if temperatures drop.

Common Diseases

Rust – Caused by a fungus which produces orange raised pustules on leaves which turn yellow and die back, it is most common in wet weather. Remove affected leaves, avoid high-nitrogen fertilisers, which encourages soft growth. Apply sulphate of potash at planting to promote harder growth.