Sowalong - Sweetcorn with Oliver Parsons

In this episode of the BBC Gardeners World Magazine Podcast, host Oliver shares his expertise on growing sweetcorn, a personal favorite of his. He recounts his initial successful experience with sweetcorn from about 15 years ago, where he grew them alongside courgettes. Oliver emphasizes the importance of proper sowing techniques, suggesting the use of 7cm pots with two seeds each and good quality compost to enhance germination rates.

He discusses transitioning seedlings to outdoor conditions gradually to avoid shocking them, and recommends planting sweetcorn in groups of at least 16 plants for better pollination. For smaller plantings, he advises hand-pollinating the silky threads to ensure full cobs.

Nutritional needs are also highlighted, stressing that sweetcorn requires ample sunlight, water, and nutrients, as demonstrated by his own experience when plants without compost grew poorly. Oliver concludes with a warning about wildlife, particularly squirrels, which enjoy sweetcorn. His primary tip is to harvest the cobs as soon as they are ready to prevent losing them to animals.

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