Swift F1
Sweetcorn in the UK
This one's a cracker for getting an early crop, even if our summers aren't always scorching. It's really reliable and sets good cobs in cooler conditions.
Sow window for Sweetcorn generally.
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How to grow it
You can get started with sweetcorn in a couple of ways. Best bet for us up North is to sow indoors in April, about 2-3 cm deep, in modules or small pots. Pop them on a warm windowsill or in the greenhouse. Down south, you might get away with direct sowing outdoors in May once the chance of frost has well and truly passed, but even then, a bit of warmth inside gives them a proper head start. Plug plants are often available too if you're short on time.
Once your seedlings have a few true leaves, they'll need pricking out if they're too close. Before planting them out on the plot, you'll want to harden them off for a week or so, just to get them used to the outdoors. Do this after the last frost, usually mid to late May up here. Plant them in a block, not a long row, about 45cm apart each way. This helps with wind pollination, you know what I mean. Find them a warm, sheltered spot.
More Sweetcorn varieties
Track your Sweetcorn from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.