Mangetout & baby corn

phil_51

Does anyone grow Mangetout & baby corn ?

Are they difficult or worth growing?

They are often pretty expensive in supermarkets but nice to put in stir-fry’s.


We are trying to grow the things which are normally expensive in the supermarket.
Things like carrots are pretty cheap and would need a huge space to make it worth while think.

RAS

Mangetout are dead easy and I think they are a better deal than ordinary peas. Also look for sugar snap peas. I think that Lidl had some in their 49p section.

I highly recommend an interesting yellow mangetout called Golden Sweet that is available from Real Seeds. It is very hardy - I have managed to crop it into December in a mild autumn before the New Year gales wrecked it.

Not grown minicorn but they will be a lot easier than mainstream corn. My guess is that they want a lot of compost and muck dug in before you plant as sweetcorn is a very hunrgy plant.

Also think about Swiss Chard which you never see in shops and is wonderful lightly fried in oil with black eyed beans and onion.

And then think things like artichokes if you like them and soft fruit which is horrendously expensive.

smk77

Mangetout are simple. Just make sure that they have something decent to climb up and aren't too close together. I made this mistake last year and they ended up a twisted mess. Having said that, they were still the most successful of my veg last year!

katskorner

Mangetout are easy - they are just young peas so pick them young and enjoy.

I have grown minpop baby sweetcorn before but ended up with much larger cobs and not sure if I really want to be bothered trying again. Will defo grow normal sweetcorn though.

Kazonline

Last year I grew mangetout and the full size corn. The mangtout were an absolute delight to grow and wonderfully rewarding. I simply made a wigwam with canes and strung cord around the canes to give them something to cling to (ie, cord between the canes, made what looked like a string ladder). the great thing about them is you can eat at the plot, straight from the plant! Same with the sweetcorn - eat as you pick, jucy and sweet!
The leaves on the mangetout plant did develop a white fungus in the end (my plot is very wet and has little sun) - but they kept giving lovely crops even after that.
Without a doubt they will be grown on my plot again this year. I start mine off in toilet roll tubes indoors - and they can be planted out still contained in the tubes!!!

nozzy6

could I ask when you'll be sowing your mangetout seeds? I've got some seeds at home (can't remember the variety I'm afraid) and it says sow outside in april - but as I was planning on sowing inside in loo roll middles does that mean I can start them off sooner and plant out in april, or would it still be a bit chilly for them? Its my first year with peas so apologies for all the questions!

arkonite_babe

These older threads might be of help:

advice on mangetout
baby corn

Also just doing a search for sweetcorn on the greenfingers board brings up older threads which might be of some use?

nodwah

nozzy6 wrote: »

could I ask when you'll be sowing your mangetout seeds? I've got some seeds at home (can't remember the variety I'm afraid) and it says sow outside in april - but as I was planning on sowing inside in loo roll middles does that mean I can start them off sooner and plant out in april, or would it still be a bit chilly for them? Its my first year with peas so apologies for all the questions!

Yes - i normally sow them indoors and put them outside later and then in June I sow more outside and sometimes chance it with another lot 4 weeks or so later - I fancy that real seeds one if they go on late in the year

Zeusiblue

Had no luck at all with mine last year as the slugs and snails munched the lot ! so this year have planted in paper cups indoors to give them a head start . then gonna surround with eggshels bio pellets copper wire copper coins a torch a bag and cheap ale hic! any other suggestions v welcome:beer:

Dustykitten

Mange tout and sugar snap peas are easy to start off in guttering and then transfer to the planting area when they are bigger.

I grew this purple pod pea last year and it was great:

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_22_23_34&products_id=1194

angelavdavis

phil_51 wrote: »

Does anyone grow Mangetout & baby corn ?

Are they difficult or worth growing?

They are often pretty expensive in supermarkets but nice to put in stir-fry’s.


We are trying to grow the things which are normally expensive in the supermarket.
Things like carrots are pretty cheap and would need a huge space to make it worth while think.

I have grown both. The mangetout are a regular for me as they are quick growing and the baby corn must be started off fairly early as I have found sometimes they don't mature enough to produce cobs.