Sweetcorn, like tomatoes, is one of those crops that, once sampled fresh from the garden, will spoil the supermarket eating experience for ever. To grow it, your site must be sunny and weed-free, with a good dollop of well-rotted manure dug in.
When choosing a variety, supersweet is the category to go for. I like ‘Conqueror’, but ‘Lark’ and ‘Mirai 003’ are both highly praised and widely available. You’ll need to sow in a block, as the plants are wind-pollinated and germinate sporadically. Allow for failure by sowing two seeds 8in apart in rows 1ft apart, covering them with the end of a plastic bottle.
Your eventual spacing should be one plant every 18in, with rows 2ft apart. Thin them out when they’re 8in tall. Protection from birds is essential, as are regular watering, feeding and weeding. Companion planting with courgettes or squash, which will starve weeds of light, is a good idea here.
You can even go one step further and use sweetcorn as support for climbing beans, which will in turn fix nitrogen for the corn. This technique, known as the Three Sisters and devised by Native Americans, is much the best way to get the most from your plot.
What to do in the garden this week
● If your sweet peas have started flowering, it is down to you to start picking them. The more you take, the more flowers you’ll get, so no slacking off.
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● The dead leaves of tulips and alliums can be removed, but only when they have gone brown. Leaving them to die naturally allows energy back into the bulb for next year.
● If you’re growing salad, remember to keep sowing as you harvest so that there are no gaps. The money you’ll save on bagged leaves will be phenomenal, and the taste makes it well worth the effort.
● Don’t forget to continue feeding containers, particularly those holding summer bedding displays, if you want to get the best out of them. You’re not expecting them to survive harsh conditions, so soft, sappy growth is perfectly acceptable.
● Katie Fforde isn’t the only one showing off sculptures in her garden. Fresh Air, a biennial exhibition at Quenington Old Rectory, Gloucestershire, runs daily from next Sunday until July 2, 10am-5pm (admission £5; freshairsculpture.com).
● It’s been extremely popular, but there may still be a few tickets left for the first RHS flower show at Chatsworth, Derbyshire, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. Check at rhs.org.uk.
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We dig
What a treat: the combination of Dan Pearson and the Beth Chatto Gardens, in Essex. With her mantra of “the right plant in the right place”, Chatto has been a huge influence on the Chelsea gold medallist, who is himself famous for designing gardens that have a true sense of place.
Pearson is a patron of the Beth Chatto Education Trust and will be talking about his horticultural inspirations and work at the University of Essex, Wivenhoe, on June 30 at 7pm. If you want to meet him, you could splash out on the VIP option (£125), which includes a tour of Chatto’s garden in nearby Elmstead Market, drinks and a meal. From £25; bethchatto.co.uk
http://www.bethchatto.co.uk/courses/lecture-from-award-winning-garden-designer-dan-pearson-in-conjunction-with-the-b.htm
cuttings@sunday-times.co.uk