Sweetcorn
Zea mays
The race between the pot of boiling water and the freshly-picked cob of sweetcorn is one of the garden's great moments. Sweetcorn begins converting its sugars to starch the moment it is picked — grow your own and you will wonder why you ever bought it from a supermarket.
SowingBoth methods
Sunlight☀️ Full sun
Water💧💧 Moderate
Days to harvest70–90
Soil pH6–7
Spacing35cm × 45cm
Planting Calendar
Sow indoorsSow outdoorsTransplantHarvest
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Block Planting
Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated — for the best cob-set, plant in a block rather than rows. Pollen falls from the tassels above on to the silks below; in a single row, much pollen is lost to the wind.Sowing
Sow under glass for frost protection in April or May, or direct into warm soil from late May. Plant 3cm deep.Support
Sweetcorn stalks are tall and can blow over in strong winds. Earth up around the base once 60cm tall to provide additional stability.Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil. Warm up the soil with cloches before planting.