🌽 Sweetcorn

Homegrown sweetcorn eaten within minutes of picking is far sweeter than anything from a shop, because the sugars begin turning to starch as soon as the cobs are picked. Plants are tall and architectural, and the crop is an enjoyable one for families.

Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated, so plant in a block, not a row, to ensure the cobs are filled. It needs space, sun and warmth, and does best with a good summer, though modern super-sweet F1 varieties are bred for the UK climate.

Varieties to try

Sweet Nugget (reliable, early, sweet)Swift (very early, good for cooler regions)Incredible (high-yielding, tender)Lark (early, sweet kernels)Mini-corn types (for baby cobs)

Sow indoors from mid-April to mid-May, 2.5 cm deep, one seed per 7–9 cm pot (or in loo-roll tubes, as roots dislike disturbance) at 18–21°C. Seedlings appear in a week. Harden off in late May.

Plant out in late May to June, once the frost has gone, in a sunny, sheltered spot with rich soil. Plant in a block of at least 4 by 4 plants, about 35–45 cm apart, so wind can carry pollen between the male tassels and female silks. In warm areas, direct sowing outdoors is possible in mid-May.

Top tips

• Plant in a block, not a row.
• Use deep pots or tubes for roots.
• Harden off carefully.
• Sow direct only if the soil is warm.

Water well during dry spells, particularly when the plants are flowering and the cobs are developing, and mulch to keep the soil moist. Feed with a high-potash fertiliser when the cobs start to swell. Earth up the base of the stems to support them, and stake in exposed sites.

Weed gently, as roots are shallow. Mice, badgers and squirrels can strip the cobs just before harvest. Smut, a fungus that forms grey-white swellings on the cobs, is edible (huitlacoche) but should be removed from the garden after. Do not plant too early, because cold checks growth.

Top tips

• Water well when tassels appear.
• Earth up the base of the stems.
• Protect from animals as cobs ripen.
• Mulch to retain moisture.

Watch out for

Mice, badgers and squirrelsCorn smutFrit flyPoor pollination if grown in a single row

Cobs are ready from late August to September, when the silks at the tip have turned brown and dry and the husk feels plump. Peel back a small bit of husk and press a kernel with your fingernail: if the juice is milky, it is ready; clear means it is too early, and doughy means too late.

Twist and pull the cob downward to snap it off. Cook and eat immediately, ideally within minutes of picking, for the best sweetness. Pick baby corn when the silks are just showing.

Top tips

• Check the kernels give milky juice.
• Pick just before cooking.
• Twist and pull downward.
• Check cobs every few days at harvest time.

Boil cobs in unsalted water for 5–8 minutes, or grill or barbecue them in the husk, and serve with butter, salt and pepper. Cut the kernels off for salads, salsas, fritters, soups and chowders. Baby corn is delicious in stir-fries.

Cobs lose sweetness quickly, so eat them on the day. To preserve a glut, blanch cobs for 4–5 minutes, cool quickly, and freeze whole or cut off the kernels and freeze in bags, which keep for a year.

Top tips

• Cook within minutes of picking.
• Do not salt the boiling water.
• Blanch and freeze surplus cobs.
• Barbecue in the husk.