Sweetcorn sense

Don’t believe all you’ve been told about sweetcorn, says Bob, as he reveals the correct cultivation for success

- Bob Flowerdew

SWEETCORN tastes so much sweeter when homegrown. This is because the sugars start turning to starch the moment the cob is picked. Thus, freshly picked and dropped into already boiling water is the ideal, and no supermarket or roadside stall can possibly compete. However, many people still don’t grow sweetcorn because they think it is too difficult.

Well, it once was. However, breeding has made it reliable in most regions (although it’s still risky in cold, shorter-season areas). Even so, it’s so good that it’s worth the risk.

However, it’s not worth it if you follow the advice to sow in pots indoors, then plant them out. This almost guarantees poorer performance compared to sowing in situ, as the plants invariably get checked by root disturbance, no matter how careful you are.