Monty Don shares how gardeners ‘must’ plant sweetcorn for pollination

Monty Don often shares his best gardening tips and tricks, on both social media and TV. In the latest episode of BBC’s Gardeners’ World, the horticulturist explained the way gardeners “must” plant sweetcorn in order for them to get pollinated.

Finishing up planting his pumpkins and squashes, Monty was in need of a crop to plant beside these vegetables.

He had made space in his garden for his choice of vegetable – the pumpkin.

Monty said: “Now the reason why I’m raking this is not just for neatness, but because I haven’t finished.

“What we have is masses of bare soil, which will be covered, but until then it’s a waste of space not to use it now.

“In the past I’ve grown lettuce with pumpkins – any kind of catch crop that will grow quickly you’ll harvest and eat while there’s still light available.”

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“This year I’m going to grow my sweetcorn with them.

“With sweetcorn you must plant them in a grid not in rows because they are wind pollinated.

“So the wind blows the pollen and if you plant them in a row and the wind comes from the side it will just simply blow them away.

“But if you have them in a grid, it doesn’t matter which direction the wind comes from. 

“There’s a very high chance that it will be pollinated.”

He also explained tha this is how your sweetcorn crop will thrive.

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The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) advises sweetcorn plants should be grown outdoors 18 inches apart.

The RHS experts explained: “Sow outdoors in late spring, in the ground or in pots. Make sure the soil temperature is above 10C (50F).

“As sweetcorn is wind pollinated, plants should be grown in blocks rather than rows, 45cm (18 inches) apart.

“Sow two or three seeds at each point, then thin out the extra seedlings to leave just the strongest one.”

Sweetcorn will benefit from a warm, sheltered spot in an area that is sunny and protected from strong winds.