Zea mays ‘saccharata’ Sweetcorn

Planting position: Full sun. Ideal for regions with warm seasons. Spacing of 30cm between plants and 60cm between short rows.
Requires regular watering (less during germination period). Well-draining, compost-enriched loamy soil and generous layers of mulching (grass clippings for seedlings). Add 2:3:2 next to planting furrows, at a rate of 100g.m ² and 3:1:5 during flowering period (monthly). Apply a side-dressing of nitrogen fertiliser to developing plants and again when the hairs appear. Draw hills up and round the plants for support. Water with a sprinkler once the hairs grow outwards from the upper leaves and gently shake the hairs for better pollination (mid-morning).
Propagate from seed, pre-dusted with a proprietary brand of fungicide, and sown in situ.
Harvesting is done when the hairs turn brown and the cob is swollen and firm. The cob is ready for picking when, by piercing a kernel it secretes a milky substance. Twist, or ‘screw’ the cobs off at their base.
Pests, diseases and their cures: Corn ear worm, Cutworms and Aphids - spray with mercaptotion.

Sweet corn, a subspecies of maize, has a large sugar content and is cooked and eaten as fresh as possible.