Sweetcorn disappointment

[Dorothy rouse]

Mine also rubbish this year, first lot didn't germinate, and the second lot grew very slowly, didn't form decent cobs and I chucked most of them. Hoping for better next year.

[Chris11]

Very good advice and information from Zelenina.

I've grown both sweet corn and minicobs and had moderate success some years, but I'm reluctantly taking the view that I just don't get enough sun and warmth in my garden to get consistently good results. If my neighbours didn't have a tree causing so much shade, I'm sure I could do better.

Same as other people, this year has been particularly bad due to poor summer.

[seasprout]

I've grown sweet corn in a couple of different places this year, and they were all poor.
I've also got friend who also agree its bee a bad sweetcorn year, personally I think its was poor night time temperatures.

My weather station actually recorded a 6 degree one night in July, I think consistently cool night temps have been to blame..... saying that, I've already got next year's seeds ready and waiting.!

I think I might invent little individual hot water bottles for my plants.

[Jungle Jane]

My sweetcorn did well this year even with lack of sun,but I think I picked a good seed variety from the rhs agm list,sweetcorn ovation f1. I have had bad varieties before,this is the best one so far. I planted it where beans had previously grown,so maybe it was just nitrogen rich soil that made them great?

[bramble]

My brother in law gsve me 4 plants that he grew from seed just to see what I thought of them.
They grew well enough but then something started eating them.
We got two really good cobs from the 4 plants but the rest were rubbish.
I wouldn't bother again as I would give the space to something more productive.

[bario1]

I grew my first successful corn this year, but all the cobs were about two thirds pollinated - the 'bottom' two thirds were packed with kernels and the top third had none. I don't know the ins and outs of sweetcorn reproduction, but I suspect that as I only grew 12 plants, the pollen on the tassles 'ran out' before the cobs had finished sending out their silks.... next year I'm going to grow 20, but pack them a bit closer together in the same space (3 deep instead of 2). I might set 10 off, then set another 10 off 2 weeks later, in the hope that the second lot will still have pollen when the first lot are developing the last silks.

[Tripmeup]

same for me- this year was just a poor year for sweetcorn

[ESBkevin]

Odd isn't it, this has probably been my most successful year to date with sweetcorn (not that past years were much to be able to improve on). About 24 plants in 3 rows but up near the allotment/football club fence and in front of the runner beans. Very pleased and unlike the OP I've really developed a liking for the stuff this year. Runner beans though were slow and generally pants, and don't get me started again on the peas saga.