[chairmanphil]

the other tip for sweetcorn is to sow at fortnightly intervals, often the fruit is ready to be fertilised way after the top is spent, planting a slightly later crop amongst them can help fertilise the first sowings.

i was going to do that anyway but for different reasons, it can freeze here on the levels when everyone else gets away with it. can be a right coldharbour. so i was going to put some in now then every week just to see which ones make it. but as you say DITW it would make sense to do this for the pollen too.

learning all the time, thanx for all the advice! 

[Fleecewife]

Last year my nephew tried the "three sisters" method. Sweetcorn, underplanted with squash and with climbing beans winding up the sweetcorn stems. It worked fairly well but he reckons he'll need loads more manure this year.

I have tried that but found that first of all the beans strangled the corn, then the corn was finished so I had to put poles up for the beans anyway  Maybe dwarf beans would suit me better.   The squashes were fine and did their job of shading the roots of the corn.

[chairmanphil]

Last year my nephew tried the "three sisters" method. Sweetcorn, underplanted with squash and with climbing beans winding up the sweetcorn stems. It worked fairly well but he reckons he'll need loads more manure this year.

I have tried that but found that first of all the beans strangled the corn, then the corn was finished so I had to put poles up for the beans anyway  Maybe dwarf beans would suit me better.   The squashes were fine and did their job of shading the roots of the corn.

the other problem i would have with the beans is the rabbits my way love them, last years bollotti beans didn't last a night, even the roots were eaten!

[chairmanphil]

first sowing went in yesterday, got some more soaking for the weekend!

[chairmanphil]

think the frost has done the first shoots, oh well they were a bit hopeful this time of year