Growing Sweet corn in the north

[Jenegade]

Hi,

I was just wondering which variety of Sweetcorn I should buy that should hopefully grow up here in Scotland.

I've searched the web and found mention of 'Northern Extra Sweet' that is meant to grow well further north, has anyone else tried this variety? Or anyone up north grown any other varieties that have done well?

Thanks kindly for your help!!

[Snadger]

I grow sweetcorn quite easily each year here in NE England. Even last year with the horrible summer we had I still had a good crop.
No idea what variety it was........only remember they were 19p a packet from Netto.

[Alice]

Hello Jenegade. I've grown sweetcorn here with some success - but not brilliant. But then the summer was anything but brilliant. I'm sure the variety was Swift.
I found this site which has varieties that may have possibilities. I'm going to give them a try anyway.
SweetCorn Seed

[Jenegade]

Nice to know that you can grow it up here, was worried as I've been told that you can't grow sweetcorn this far north! But it's good to know that others have tried with some success!

I think I'll try several different varieties and see which one works best, possibly northern extra sweet (can get that from Thompson and morgan), Swift (as you're quite close to me Alice, might grow here too) and maybe
one of the varieties from realseeds.co.uk.

I love sweetcorn, so I hope one of them has some success!!

[realfood]

I have been growing sweetcorn in Glasgow for 6 or 7 years now with great success, huge crop this year, but you need to follow the tips given on my website to be sure of success. This seems to be why my fellow plotters seem to have difficulties in growing sweetcorn.
Extra tender and Sweet (tendersweet) F1. The sweetest type with softer kernels. The catalogues claim that isolation of this type from other types of sweet corn, is not required. Also can be quick to mature and should be ready to harvest in September in the North of the UK, and this is the type that I would recommend.

Suggested varieties of Extra Tender and Sweet (tendersweet)

Swift F1. Very early, very sweet and tender.

Lark F1. Mid season, very sweet and tender.

[SarzWix]

I grew Northern Extra Sweet last year and it was terrible - they all matured at different times, so didn't pollinate properly I won't be bothering with it again!

[Two_Sheds]

I grow kelvon wonder .. it was the sweatest sweetcorn I had ever tasted

That's a pea isn't it? Kelvedon Wonder

[Jenegade]

I grew Northern Extra Sweet last year and it was terrible - they all matured at different times, so didn't pollinate properly I won't be bothering with it again!

Hmmm, that doesn't sound too good, maybe I shouldn't boter with it them and just try Swift as Alice and Realfoo both grew it up here and possibly Lark too?

[Jenegade]

That's a pea isn't it? Kelvedon Wonder

It's also a sweetcorn variety, I did a google search and found the link below:

Organic Gardening: How to grow organic Corn | Vegetable Crops for the Garden

They also mentioned Earlibelle and Earliking on that site as northern varieties, can't really find anyone selling them though...

[Two_Sheds]

It's also a sweetcorn variety

well whaddya know?
Every day's a school day

[nilling]

Sweetcorn is on my list for new veggies to grow in 2009

Looking through Suttons catalogue I found F1 Sundance, is it any good up North?

Suttons Seeds: Vegetable Seeds: Sweet Corn F1 Sundance Seeds

[Smuff]

Hi Jenegade,
in agreement with Alice and realfood Swift is a reliable cropper and will cope with a so-so summer.

[plantsbypost.com]

Sweetcorn is on my list for new veggies to grow in 2009

Looking through Suttons catalogue I found F1 Sundance, is it any good up North?

Suttons Seeds: Vegetable Seeds: Sweet Corn F1 Sundance Seeds

Sundance is really a mid-season standard variety, I think you'd be better off going with F1 Swift which is a 1st early variety from the Xtra Tender types, and will probably give you better results with being up north.

Just wondered how people are growing them, are you sowing direct in the ground, or into pots a bit earlier and then planting out?

Regards

Neil

[Two_Sheds]

Conqueror is my favourite, it was earlier and more prolific than Swift (started off in paper pots)

[plantsbypost.com]

Conqueror is my favourite, it was earlier and more prolific than Swift (started off in paper pots)

You can get away with growing this variety as you are further south than some of the other posters.