The Veg Plot

Cob off

sweetcorn_seedlings

When The Allotment King wandered over to our patch, pointed at a tray of seedlings and enquired, with a foreboding tone, “sweetcorn?” I assumed he was going to admonish me for raising them in plastic. (Since sowing I have learned that sweetcorn don’t like being transplanted so degradable plots are preferable). But no, the problem is badgers. They’re partial to a fresh corn on the cob and will trounce everything in their path the second the niblets become golden. No one grows them anymore, although one plot holder is considering erecting electric fences to keep the badgers at bay. But at £600 a pop that’s a literally shocking price per cob.

Normally we would chuck ’em in regardless just to see what happens, but I’m not sure I can wait until Autumn for the action and risk losing everything else that dares to grow in the hungry badgers path. So unless anyone out there has any suggestions they’ll be ditched.

2 Comments

  • Would they grow in pots? I’d try ’em in our town garden which is walled off from hungry marauders

    • You can certainly give it a go. They would need to be reasonably close together because they pollinate each other by spilling things from their furry bits (rather than relying on insects). Try a large pot or growbag and let us know how you get on.

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