Guest blogger Alison Levey writes about her vegetable eating and growing experiences and the satisfaction of growing sweetcorn from seed…
The joy of sweetcorn
I have to begin this post with a confession, there are far more vegetables I do not like than I actually do. In terms of vegetables it is fair to say I have an immature palate. As a child in the 1960s if it was not in a tin, involving lots of sugar and preferably some sort of day-glo food colouring, I probably was not going to eat any vegetable you put in front of me. So that I now grow a fair amount of my own vegetables is quite an achievement.
I did improve and start to eat fresh (and frozen) vegetables after a while and I also discovered sweet corn. We never had sweet corn in my house when growing up, it was quite expensive at that point and largely available in tins involving a rather tall green man on the label. As often, with many new things that I discovered food-wise, I was at a friend’s house for tea and in order to be polite I knew I had to try and eat it, I found out I loved it. Years of sweetcorn buying ensued, largely the frozen sort as I had moved beyond my love of the tinned and it was more available to buy in general.

Sweetcorn plants
Add to this a conversation some-time ago with a work colleague, who was describing the fun of growing sweetcorn. He told me that it had to be sown in a grid pattern to ensure that that the cobs were pollenated by the breeze. I liked the sound of this and thought one day I would like to grow sweetcorn.

Sweetcorn – getting bigger!
I had also read about the three sisters, the planting of sweetcorn, beans and squash in the same plot as they grow well together and support each other, I believe this practice was first carried out by native americans. This beneficial companion planting seemed ideal to me and I liked its practicality and the sisterhood of it all.

Growing sweetcorn is really satisfying!
I do have a further confession, that whilst I said I grow my own vegetables I could not be considered a major vegetable grower or indeed an expert one. I have played at growing vegetables for several years. I began growing the odd sprouted potato as a child and that wonder has never left me. I do now possess some raised vegetable beds in the garden and over the past few years I have been refining what I grow and my care of them. In general I grow easy vegetables that I like to eat. I am fairly self-sufficient in onions and garlic and I do well with potatoes, french beans and peas. Courgettes are always grown too. This year I decided I would give sweetcorn a go. I bought the kernels and duly sowed them. The mouse that had taken up residence in the greenhouse duly ate them. The mouse then also ate a ricinus bean and that took care of the mouse. I resowed the sweetcorn and was amazed at how quickly and easily it germinated.

Getting there…
Once the frosts were over I planted it outside in a grid pattern. I deliberately only grew four plants this year and I had no idea how successful they would be. I planted with them some cobra beans and some courgettes (ok, not squash, but I don’t like squash very much), so sort of two sisters and a cousin.
They grew well; their tops took on the definite likeness of an old television aerial. At this point I have an ever larger confession; I was not actually certain where in the plant the cobs formed. When I saw them coming out at different angles on the stem I was actually surprised.
I was even more surprised when two of them actually ripened enough to be eaten; they were without doubt the best I have ever tasted. This has not been the hottest summer we have ever had and I did not expect them to do well.

Ta dah!
It has to be said that four plants leading to two cobs is not the most productive vegetable you will find. Next year I will grow more than four as this year was definitely the pilot project. I know now though that I will not probably get a huge yield. I do not mind this, they are fun to grow. I wished in some way that my children were younger as they seem ideal vegetables for a child to grow. The kernels are easy to handle and they germinate like a dream. If anyone asks me now what vegetable should they get children to grow, I would put sweet corn on the list. For me they certainly induce a child-like wonder and I think I will grow them for many years to come.
My blog can be found at: http://ozhene.blogspot.co.uk/

I am a keen amateur gardener living in the East Midlands. During the day I work in an office so I love the times I can get outside. I would not call myself an expert gardener but I am an avid learner. I have been writing a blog based on my garden and gardens that I have visited for nearly two years now and it is something I really enjoy doing. It has added an extra dimension to how I view my garden.
UK No: 1 Garden Blog 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 (Vuelio)
Garden Media Guild Blog of the Year 2019 winner.