Sweetcorn growing and companions?

janntimson · January 2021

I live in the east midlands. I'm going to give sweetcorn a go later this year on a raised bed. I'm considering planting either swift/earlibird. Anyone got any tips on which is better? Also what companions people would recommend? I know you can't truly manage the '3 sisters' method in the UK so I'm thinking either grow it on its own or courgettes or a dwarf french been. Has anyone had success with any of the above? My gut is telling me the beans are a better choice as a friend as the courgettes might take over a bit but I'm already making my little one a runner bean teepee so I feel courgettes would provide better variety to my harvest haha. Any tips in general on being successful with sweetcorn would also be greatly appreaciated. TIA

Obelixx · January 2021

Sweetcorn need good, fertile soil and plenty of water to grow well and need to be planted in blocks so they self fertilise effectively to get decent cobs. I think the 3 sisters system works best in areas of full, hot sun and that can't be guaranteed in the east Midlands.

I've always grown sweetcorn on its own and had good results till we moved here 4 years ago where drought is common and it needs too much metered watering to produce a decent crop.

Courgettes start to fruit in mid summer and do best in full sun. I'd suggest instead a small squash such as Uchiki Kuri would be a better bet as the plant can trail through under the sweetcorn and produce flowers and start growing fruits which will then ripen in late summer and autumn once the sweetcorn is over and has been cut down.

Flinster · January 2021

That is exactly the combo I am doing this year @Obelixx! I love Uchiki Kuri squash. Not too big in size and they also look fantastic scrambling up an archway with the fruits dangling down!
I grew Swift last year and was very pleased with it so will do the same. I’m in Herts and the spot they grew in was not ideal being in a raised bed against a fence, but it does get full sun. My garden can be a bit exposed and they were planted too close to each other... yet, despite all of that they produced mostly 2 cobs each, with about a quarter of stems only giving one cob (my own fault for being too optimistic with planting spaces!). They were delicious.

rachelQrtJHBjb · January 2021

We grew Earlibird and it lived up its name and cropped early. Like @Flinster we only got two decent cobs per plant as they did not get as much water as they should have. We had a matrix of 9 plants. We were harvesting weeks before the commercial crops growing a mile or so away were picked.

One comment on courgettes. There were a lot of problems last year with green courgettes being bitter and giving people upset stomachs. For the past few years I have grown 'Gold Rush' and been pleased with the flavour. As you have small children like I do, they will find it more palatable.

I know you didn't ask, but Cucumber Crystal Lemon is fab for children. You can peel it and they can eat it like an apple. We found the skins a bit tough for eating, though that might have been lack of water. It was a tricky season last year in the very warm south east.

BobTheGardener · January 2021

I grew sweetcorn in a block, interplanted with climbing beans (which were trained between the maize plants to provide extra support.) Both cropped well, so I effectively grew beans 'for free' in the same area of ground. Worth trying, even if you don't go with the squash in the mix. 2-sisters?

Emerion · January 2021

I always grow swift and they are fantastically sweet. My father in law refused to believe that I hadn’t put sugar on them 😁. I don’t use companions because they are so greedy, and I’m lazy. But I think Obelixx’s idea is a good one if your soil is good and you are prepared to water a lot if we have a dry summer

fidgetbones · January 2021

I grow Swift here on the Notts/Derbys border. I start them inside and plant out at the end of May. I plant them in a block. Most years they do well. Last year was poor. Sun too early, then bad weather at pollinating time. If you grow beans up them you need to make sure they twine up one plant each, not tie all the sweetcorn together or you can't harvest the corn easily.

NewBoy2 · January 2021

janntimson

You may wish to ask your neighbours if you are on an allotment about Badgers.

If its in an enclosed garden you will be Ok.

janntimson · January 2021

Thanks all. Some great ideas. I think I'm not going to push it and just grow sweetcorn with a few dwarf beans. I love the look of the uchiki kuri squash though and have the perfect spot for a squash arch so I might give this a go separately. It's a garden I'm growing it in. No badgers that I know of but we do have cats that already dug up half my allium bulbs

Hopefully they won't cause sweetcorn too much trouble though.

Obelixx · January 2021

Before moving here my garden was in central Belgium and I always grew my squashes up a support because it helps hold the developing fruits up in the sunlight for better ripening and also keeps them off the soil and away from slugs. It also means you can grow the plants closer together as longa s the soil has been suitable beefed up with plenty of organic matter. Squashes are hungry, thirsty plants.

janntimson · January 2021

Obelixx said:

Before moving here my garden was in central Belgium and I always grew my squashes up a support because it helps hold the developing fruits up in the sunlight for better ripening and also keeps them off the soil and away from slugs. It also means you can grow the plants closer together as longa s the soil has been suitable beefed up with plenty of organic matter. Squashes are hungry, thirsty plants.

Thanks. I'm thinking of growing just 1 plant at either side of a fairly wide arch or maybe just one to go over the whole thing? I'm presuming this will be enough to cover the arch fairly well but not too much competition for space? Yes I've heard that both squash and sweetcorn are greedy and rhubarb which I have a patch of. Looks like I need to find plenty of muck...

Sweetcorn growing and companions?

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