DO you love sweetcorn – and if so, have you tried growing it? Well, right now is your best opportunity for a brilliant crop. You see, we want our cobs to swell and ripen rapidly, becoming plump, succulent and sweet. Such vigorous growth requires strong bright sunshine – something too often in short supply in Blighty, even in the height of summer. So if we want brilliant cobs, they need to ripen during July or August.
Before they can flower, though, sweetcorn plants need to produce a set number of leaves. This used to take much longer with older varieties that would often not ripen until too late. So breeders worked at reducing that time to 90 days or so, which is effectively three months. However, that’s only at best, because in poor sunless summers they can take longer.
Denne historien er fra May 07, 2022-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
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Denne historien er fra May 07, 2022-utgaven av Amateur Gardening.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
To dig or not to dig?
Should we be carrying out a full dig on plots now? Bob considers the pros and cons of the 'autumn dig' debate
The box ball blues
As if his beleaguered box hadn't already taken a beating, Toby now has to deal with some hungry box caterpillars
Save your own seeds
Masterclass on: seed saving
Strange sightings
Three unusual insects turn up in Val's garden in one day
A bolt from the blue!
Cornflowers are perfect for garden and vase
Winter moth prevention
Ruth shows you how to avoid maggoty tree fruits
Create a winter container
There are as many options as in summer
Lightweight gardening tools
AS well as being good for our mental health, gardening is also great exercise.
Autumn price round-up
AG finds better bargains in lesser-known brands
Rudbeckias
Rudbeckias are ideal for sunny summer patios and borders, with some able to survive our coldest winters