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Is it too late for my sweetcorn to ripen.
Elizabeth225
Posts: 96
Hi, could anyone tell me please,is it too late for my Sweetcorn to finish ripening as I was a little late in planting the seeds? They have got to this stage so far but I know they are not ready until the silk turns brown,which they are not anywhere near that stage yet, or should I just dig them up & start earlier next year.As the weather is getting considerably cooler, I can't see them getting much further,Any advice would be much appreciated as this is the first time I've attempted to grow Sweetcorn. Many thanks.
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What are the flowers at the top of the stems looking like?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oh iis turned round on it's own lol.
They should produce pollen which will fall/be blown onto the silks on the cobs below ... as to whether it's too late ......... I think it all depends on the weather ... I'd leave them and wait and see if you're lucky, unless you need the space to plant something else right now.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes the pollen did fall onto the Cobs quite a while ago when the weather was warmer & the Cobs did swell up quite a bit.I will do what you say & leave them for a while longer,& if they don't produce, will dig them up,at least I will have learnt something from this experience & will plant them earlier next year.Thank you for your valuable advice.
If the pollen had pollenated the cobs the silks on the cobs would have turned brown.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oh ok,didn't know that, another lesson learned, thank you.
If the pollen has all gone from the top flowers and the silks on the cobs haven't gone brown then I'm afraid that's it for this year
Better luck next time.
I've had very good results in earlier years using the variety 'Swift' which has been especially developed to cope with the shorter growing period in the UK ... the flavour is very good too. I shall be growing it again next year.
I'll sow the seeds indoors on my windowsill in Mid April, when I start my tomatoes and move them into the mini greenhouse when they're taking up too much space indoors, then at the end of May/early June when frosts are over here in Norfolk I'll plant them out in a sunny spot in the garden.
Last edited: 04 October 2017 14:20:16
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.