|
The
harvest of sweet corn for the fresh market can begin when the grains
are milky. At this moment, the grains are already yellow, only those
on the tip of the ear may still be unripe and white. The content
of dry matter is aprox. 25%. To test if the plants are ripe, 1 -
2 grain rows are scratched with the thumbnail over the whole ear
length. The base of the oldest grains at the ear setting should
still be creamy and liquid. Maturity can be recognized by the dying
off of the stigma pistils. At that moment the ear fills the husk
leaves completely.
At
an average day temperature of aprox. 16°, the harvest of one set
lasts about 5 - 6 days. This period can be reduced to 1 - 2 days
when the temperature rises to more than 30°. As not all plants ripe
at the same time, we recommend to harvest the crop 2 - 3 times.
To
achieve complete and undamaged ears for the fresh market it is recommendable
that they are manually harvested. Mechanical harvest methods can
be applied, but the cob stem may be crushed with the consequence
of premature mildew.
|
