Sweetcorn is an extremely useful vegetable to grow especially if you want to show at any local show and take away a prize.  It fits into the “Any other Vegetable” class if there is not already a separate class for it.  According to Andrew Tokely in his article in Kitchen Garden “any gardener who has a healthy block of sweetcorn plants growing on their allotment, has a chance of picking up a prize card”

It is important, however, that the correct variety is chosen for the area where you live and the plants need to be strong and healthy.  If you are going to be showing in early September, you will need to start sowing seed in the second week of April under glass.  Andrew states “ I always sow the seeds into Rootrainers ….. so they get the minimum of root disturbance”.  This means that you will be ready to plant out early in June after all frost risk has passed.

Planting should be done in a block format for better pollination and the site should also be a sunny one with plenty of organic matter added to the soil to keep moisture in during the summer.

Good pollination is extremely important as the plants grow, because without it there will be no cobs.  Pollination takes place with air activity or wind, something which is often lacking when the plants are flowering and so it is a good idea to walk along the plants and gently shake each one every day for about two weeks to ensure distribution of the pollen and help cob set.

It is very important that, throughout the summer and especially during August, the plants are kept well watered.  August is of vital importance as this is the time when the cobs will be filling out and a shortage of water at this stage will stunt proper development.  At this stage they can also be given a high potash liquid feed which will give them a boost and help the cobs to develop.

The best way to tell if the cobs are ripe is to select the ones where the silks are turning brown at the end and if you are showing it is best to select developing cobs that match up in size as well as ones that are straight and a uniform length and thickness.  The night before the show it is a good idea to peel back the husk of one of the selected cobs and inspect the kernels inside.  If they squirt out a white milky liquid when pressed with a thumbnail and all the kernels have developed uniformly then all that is needed is to check the others selected look similar in  maturity to the “sacrificed” cob.  Of course if the show schedule asks for prepared cobs this guesswork is not required.

It is best to pick the cobs on the morning of the show, but if not possible then pick them the night before and wrap them in a damp towel to stay fresh.  When picking use a sharp knife or secateur rather than pulling or tearing the cob away from the stem.

All that then remains is to present your cobs as requested, either “prepared” or “as picked” and wait for the judge’s verdict!  Remember that whatever category you are entering the cob should be placed with the bottom cut end facing the judge with your exhibitor’s card underneath.

The RHS grants points for sweetcorn as follows:
Condition                                    6 points
Size and set of grain (kernels)   5 points
Colour                                        2 points
Uniformity                                  5 points
TOTAL                                      18 points

(Thanks to Andrew Tokely and his article in Kitchen Garden April 2006.  There is also a special offer on sweetcorn seeds in this issue of Kitchen Garden)