Straw around Sweetcorn

[kathyd]

sorry to hijack your thread a bit, but can anyone tell me the planting distance and layout for sweetcorn in raised beds please? and don't tell me a 'block' because I'm not sure I know what a 'block' actually means

My sweetcorn packet says 16" apart, so I put 3 rows of 3 in a metre squared, as others have said. Or the occasional row of 4 if I have a weird number . Our local farmers who grow corn for their animals seem to plant way closer though, looks about 4-6" at a glance as we drive past! Now I know we're growing for different reasons, but it does make me think spacing isn't quite as critical as we like to think because their plants always seem to grow fine with plenty of cobs on them ... So as long as they're in a block (ie several adjacent rows rather than one long row), they'll be happy . I believe this is because they're wind pollinated so the pollen needs to be able to blow from one plant to another.

[bario1]

Mine are in the polytunnel this year, so there's not enough space to block plant them, they're just in two rows - hopefully they'll work fine if I give them a gentle rattle every time I walk past when the tassly things appear.

[Scottishnewbie]

thanks everyone...now I know what a block is and also learned to put straw around the plants.

[NatalieCooke]

I can't wait to see mine grow! It's one of the vegetables I'm looking forward to the most.

[bario1]

Me too, along with tomatoes. What size are yours now Natalie?