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27 Jan 19, Michael (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Advice needed: *what species of corn to grow in subtropics (Northern NSW, Australia). *what desities (2, 3, 4 rows, how far apart)? Thanks all.

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29 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

Plant 20cm apart rows 60-70cm apart. 15-20 seeds in 2-3 rows Try Boondie seeds on the internet – variety “bicolour” nice and sweet.

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06 Feb 19, Michael (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Thanks everyone for the advise. WIll check out Boondie seeds! Also found Greenpatch seeds around the corner from them too. Looks promising.

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29 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

Better to plant 2-3-4 rows to have better pollination.

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31 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Google about growing it in WA

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24 Jan 19, Noel (Australia - temperate climate)

I live in Perth wa what is the best time to grow sweet corn anfor what period can you grow for

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31 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Perth: This impressive crop does take up a bit of room but it's well worth it; the sweetness of fresh picked home-grown sweet corn is hard to beat. Plant from September through to January. Preparing the site Choose a sunny site that’s protected from strong winds. Sweet corn is a hungry crop so it’s important to enrich your soil before planting. Add a plenty of aged manure and a handful of blood & bone per square metre and fork it in well. Sweet corn will do well in a bed that’s previously grown healthy peas or beans. In the right conditions, each plant will usually produce 2 ears of corn. Planting Plant seedlings or seeds (ensure seeds are fresh). Space 30cm apart and plant in blocks rather than a single long row. Planting in blocks assists pollination which is essential for the development of kernels. Plant early and late varieties in separate blocks for a longer season. Water seeds well after planting then sparingly until germination occurs as the seeds can rot easily. When the stalks are about 20cm high, mound the soil up against the stalks. This process, called hilling, encourages more roots to grow which will help stabilise the plant during windy conditions. You can also achieve the same result by planting the seeds in a furrow and backfilling as the plants grow. Watering and fertilising Once the plants are well underway it’s important to ensure an adequate moisture level, especially since the plants will be at their peak of fruit production over the hot months. Drip irrigate if possible and mulch well to retain moisture. As soon as the tassel appears at the top of the plant, give the soil a boost with a granular fertiliser that’s high in nitrogen. Insufficient pollination results in ears of corn with lots of missing kernels. Planting sweet corn in one long single row can result in most of the pollen being blown away, which is why gardeners plant corn in blocks instead.Can be hand pollinated by cutting off a pollen-laden tassel each day and gently brushing over the silks . Sweet corn is ready to pick 2-3 weeks after pollination and it's important to keep up the water during this time.

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25 Jan 19, Amanda (Australia - temperate climate)

I’m not from WA but this lady has blogged about her experiments with different vegetables in Perth, including corn. I can’t post the link because of the spam filter, but search for “belle’s veggie garden WA now and then” and click on the veggie link. Basically she only really had success in December.

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24 Jan 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

All year probably - summer may require a lot of watering though.

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07 Jan 19, (Australia - temperate climate)

I have planted sweet corn from commercial seed in Melbourne and the stems are growing well, but instead of corn heads of corn i have a grain sprig which I think is maize sprouts. What is happening?

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