Zea mays - Sweetcorn Balinese.

This is an incredibly productive corn which multistems and multicobs. In rich soil it can grow to 4m with as many as 7 stems and up to 7 cobs per stem. The stems, leaves and silks often have maroon coloured tinges.

Not as sweet as supersweet varieties but with a richer flavour and more tender texture.

Like other corn varieties it does best in rich, well draining soil with an under-planting of beans, clover or some nitrogen fixing plant.

Prepare your soil well with plenty of organic matter. Ensure soil is moist when sowing seed.

Best results will come from growing corn in short rows or blocks rather than one long row. In this way pollination occurs to a much greater degree and the cobs fill out much better. Pollen from the male flower tassels will have the best chance to fall on the female tassels or silks halfway up the stems.

You can grow three rows spaced 50-60cm apart in a bed 150cm wide. For direct sowing, mark out seed furrows (25mm deep) where each row is to be sown. Space seed 15-20cm apart, this allows for misses when seedlings are thinned to 30-45 cm apart.

Sow in spring after last frosts.