Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sweetcorn has to be one of the most worthwhile things to grow at home. In this video I show you different types of sweetcorn, when to sow, how to protect plants from cold, and how to harvest at the right moment for the best taste.
Sweetcorn needs decent summer warmth to grow, say afternoons over 21°C, 70°F. In the UK this is not guaranteed, even here in the south, but it happens that this video was made in 2025, an unusually warm summer here, so you're seeing some great results.
It may not always be so easy! Likewise, a late frost spells disaster, so I explain how to protect plants using fleece for the first two to four weeks. This is a UK link for the 30gsm fleece I use gardening-naturally.com/collections/garden-fleece/products/30g-fleece
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join
00:00 Introduction
00:31 No dig - life in the soil
01:05 Sowing in module trays, timing of sowing, using fleece
03:23 Sowing and growing in twos
03:58 Option of potting on
04:44 Variety Incredible F1, for cooler climates
05:28 Watering
06:00 First leaf - grass family
06:26 Three weeks after sowing, plants now potted on
07:09 Area for planting - weeds in compost, using a hoe
09:10 Planting pattern and spacing
11:00 Planting method and depth
11:59 Covering with fleece for warmth and against rabbits
13:04 One month later on 23rd May - plants after a frost
14:00 Cropping times of different plantings
14:55 4th July - one water only
15:33 Trial on side shoots
16:46 When to harvest
17:45 One or two cobs per plant, when to water
18:45 Mid July - warm, dry weather and little watering
20:10 Harvesting - how to know if ready, two cobs per plant
21:22 Removing side shoot
22:20 Harvesting and comparing cobs
25:25 Cobs for maize as dry grain
25:55 Cobs after cooking, and protection against pests
27:00 Super sweet varieties, and varieties that hold their sweetness
27:50 Results of a taste test!
28:45 Mid-August - issues of pollination, and comparison with squash
32:49 Clearing plants to compost
34:13 Sweetcorn - kernels not seeds
#Sweetcorn #GrowSweetcorn #NoDigGardening #VegetableGarden #CharlesDowding
Sweetcorn has to be one of the most worthwhile things to grow at home. In this video I show you different types of sweetcorn, when to sow, how to protect plants from cold, and how to harvest at the right moment for the best taste.
Sweetcorn needs decent summer warmth to grow, say afternoons over 21°C, 70°F. In the UK this is not guaranteed, even here in the south, but it happens that this video was made in 2025, an unusually warm summer here, so you're seeing some great results.
It may not always be so easy! Likewise, a late frost spells disaster, so I explain how to protect plants using fleece for the first two to four weeks. This is a UK link for the 30gsm fleece I use gardening-naturally.com/collections/garden-fleece/products/30g-fleece
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join
00:00 Introduction
00:31 No dig - life in the soil
01:05 Sowing in module trays, timing of sowing, using fleece
03:23 Sowing and growing in twos
03:58 Option of potting on
04:44 Variety Incredible F1, for cooler climates
05:28 Watering
06:00 First leaf - grass family
06:26 Three weeks after sowing, plants now potted on
07:09 Area for planting - weeds in compost, using a hoe
09:10 Planting pattern and spacing
11:00 Planting method and depth
11:59 Covering with fleece for warmth and against rabbits
13:04 One month later on 23rd May - plants after a frost
14:00 Cropping times of different plantings
14:55 4th July - one water only
15:33 Trial on side shoots
16:46 When to harvest
17:45 One or two cobs per plant, when to water
18:45 Mid July - warm, dry weather and little watering
20:10 Harvesting - how to know if ready, two cobs per plant
21:22 Removing side shoot
22:20 Harvesting and comparing cobs
25:25 Cobs for maize as dry grain
25:55 Cobs after cooking, and protection against pests
27:00 Super sweet varieties, and varieties that hold their sweetness
27:50 Results of a taste test!
28:45 Mid-August - issues of pollination, and comparison with squash
32:49 Clearing plants to compost
34:13 Sweetcorn - kernels not seeds
#Sweetcorn #GrowSweetcorn #NoDigGardening #VegetableGarden #CharlesDowding
