sweetcorn

[JennieAtkinson]

I only grew two plants of sweetcorn last year (in the polytunnel) but they were a great success, so am going for a big block in the ptunnel this year. I will have to underplant otherwise I lose such a large space, so interested in the courgettes, but had thought about lettuce. Is this a good idea? Don't know why I thought of that, perhaps I read it somewhere.
Any other ideas for underplanting?

[Protea]

My sweetcorn was rather sad and unsuccessful last year (due to lack of time to water and plant out - plus the ground was like concrete), but i underplanted with lettuce and it worked fine, in fact the lettuce thrived, while my sweetcorn never really got off the ground!

2 years ago on a different site i gre a fabulous patch of sweetcorn, so i'm determined to get it sorted this year! i'm using swift and lark but will keep them in seperate areas of the plot, and i will probably underplant with either butternut squash or lettuce. The squash plants get huge so will do a good job at keeping the weeds down (i hate hoeing!)

[Snadger]

The three sisters!

http://www.chaddsfordhistory.org/history/3sisters.htm

[lyndap]

The three sisters work really well.Have grown my crops on lottie like this for 4yrs,and got really good crops of all three.This year I will only have very small beds in back garden,but still hope to grow small amount this way to get best return for my limited space.

[Berr]

This is very interesting. I will be growing in one metre by one metre beds in my p/tunnel. Am I right in thinking I should try 9 Sweet corns, 9 clg. french beans, and one squash (butternut or Crown Prince) in a bed of that size?

[Poledragon]

Berr, that sounds about right. Although you may need to restrict the gowth of the squash - there's not many that you can contain to only a square metre! Crown Prince would probaly be a little big - go for a small butternut, delicata or acorn type squash.

[Berr]

I have Butternut "Sprinter". I'll try that.
Thanks, Poledragon.

Hiawatha.

[Alice]

Butternut Sprinter do sprawl a bit Berr but I read somewhere you can train them round in a circle. Maybe you could keep them to 1 sq yd that way.

[lyndap]

You can train the squash round in a circle or threaded around between the sweetcorn stems or your beans.Basically anywhere you want the squash to go, just thread through as it grows!

[Earthbabe]

I have been told you can use the sweetcorn for to support climbing French Beans and in return the legumes fixate nitrogen in the soil which feeds the sweetcorn! Might give that a try this year!

And also underplant with squashes.

It's Jaxom's Indian trilogy/three sisters thing.

[denise]

LJ sorry for delay in answering.

Last year I bought my sweet corn and courgette plants from local Garden Center. I only singned up for Lotty on 1st June and was to get something growing.
All labels have gone from plants - I hope to grow these again this year, health willing, will keep you posted as to what i grow and how it goes.

[kirsty b]

Has anyone tried the strawberry sweetcorn variety which is used for popping? Seen it in the T and M seed catalogue.
I also grew corn last year. Did not stake it and it stood up fine. Sweetcorn is best sown in pots and then planted out. When planting out plant it deeper than it was in the pot to help anchor it in. The roots grow very close to the surface and therefore care is needed when weeding or hoeing. I am underplanting with courgette this year to prevent weed growth.

Hi there vicki
I have got strawberry popcorn for the kids to grow, and would also be interested in how others who have grown it got on with it.

Kirsty

[JennieAtkinson]

Picking this thread up again, for the three sisters bit. I know we've been talking about it, but it wasn't until Carol Klein showed it last night did it really click!

So questions I'm afraid:

CK had a haricot style bean. Any idea what it might be? All the french beans I have grown go quite mad with lots of leaves and I think would just choke the sweetcorn, so can anybody recommend something which would grow a little bit more open?

Also the squash. So far I have had no luck growing squash as I think my growing season is too short. I'm trying Piglets Carnival squash this year. Would this be a good one to grow as part of the three sisters? Or can anyone recommend a good "fast" one?

I've given over a quite a bit of room in the polytunnel for my sweetcorn this year and it would be great to have secondary harvests as well.

[Lesley Jay]

Jennie for the French beans grow Blue Lake. Excellent flavour and these give you the haricot beans at the end of the season. With squash, one that I have grown that I know will climb is Sweet Dumpling. Carol great these aswell.

[Alice]

Hello Jennie, I can't remember what variety of squash you tried last year but Butternut Sprinter did well for me. Since we can't extend the sunshine at the end of the season, I think the only answer is to get them started as early as possible. They do sprawl quite a bit, but I saw somewhere you can train them round in a circle , or of course, up a support. If you don't have Sprinter seeds but want to try a few, let me know and I'll send you some spares.